Population - 4.1 Natural increase as a component of population change

Question 1

Natural increase rate

Answer 1

The rate of increase (or decrease) is the difference between the birth rate and the death rate.

Question 2

Birth rate

Answer 2

Number of births per a thousand people per year

Question 3

Death rate

Answer 3

Number of deaths per a thousand people per year.

Question 4

Fertility rate

Answer 4

The number of live births per 1000 women aged 15-49 in a given year.

Question 5

Infant mortality rate

Answer 5

The number of infant deaths for every a thousand live births.

Question 6

What factors affect fertility levels?

Answer 6

1. Demographic 2. Social / Cultural 3. Economic 4. Political
2. Demographic - Other population factors like mortality rate, as a result of poor healthcare etc. influences fertility rate. Where infant mortality is high it is usual for many children to die before reaching adult life. In these societies, parents often have many children to compensate for these expected deaths.
3. Social / Cultural - Cultural traditions can demand high rates of reproduction. Education, focussing on female literacy rates is key to lower fertility rates as better knowledge of birth control, social awareness, more employment opportunities etc. comes with it. Religion is also a factor e.g. Muslims do not believe in artificial birth control.
4. Economic - In LIC’s, children are seen as economic assets because of the labour that they can provide. In HIC’s, the perception is reversed. Economic growth allowing for greater healthcare services, nutrition, education etc. can lower mortality rates, reducing fertility rates.
5. Political - Governments attempting to change the rate of population growth, for economic and strategic reasons, for example the One Child Policy in China.

Question 7

What factors affect mortality levels?

Answer 7

Crude death rate, like crude birth rate, are heavily influenced by the age structure of a population. The infant mortality rate and life expectancy are more accurate measures of mortality.

In LIC’s, infectious and parasitic diseases account for over 40% of all deaths and are also a major cause of social and economic upheaval. LIC’s also suffer from a range of social and economic factors that contribute to the high spread of diseases including poverty, poor access to healthcare, antibiotic resistance, evolving human migration patterns and new infectious agents.

Question 8

What is the dependency ratio?

Answer 8

Dependants are people too young or too old to work. LIC’s typically have higher dependency ratios which can reach over 100. The ratio is important as the economically active population will provide more to the economy in income tax, VAT etc.

Question 9

What differentiates population pyramids?

Answer 9

Base - wide or narrow = high or low birth rate

A broad or narrow shape at the top = high or low life expectancy