Population Change Flashcards
Ageing Population
In Britain people are living longer because there is a better quality of life. People are also having fewer children, as they’re expensive strain on hospitals.
Exponential Growth
Rapid growth, the larger the population gets the quicker it grows.
Birth rate
The average number of births per 1000 people in a population. MEDC’s it’s around 12-13 per 1000, LEDC’s it’s around 26-27 per 1000.
Death rate
Given as the average number of deaths per 1000 people in a population. In both rich and poor countries it is around 9-10 per 1000.
Major facts affecting population growth
Health care/medical knowledge
Lower infant mortality rates
People living longer
Education + status of women
Emancipation of women 1920s-30s
Delaying the age they get married
Educated have fewer children later in life
Split families
Increased fertility rates
Parents want more kids with new partners
Urbanisation
Industrial revolution 1760-1840 - higher cost of living meant lower birth rates
Agricultural change
Agricultural revolution 18th century - early 19th century
Mechanisation - machines replacing labour meant increased yields
Rural - urban migration
Demographic Transition Model
5 stages of population
1) High stationary - birth rate and death rate high
2) Early expanding - birth rate high and death rate decreasing, population increasing
3) Late expanding - birth rate and death rate are decreasing/staying low population increasing
4) Low stationary - death rate staying low, birth rate decreasing and total population peaking
5) Declining - total population and birth rate declining, death rate staying low
Sex-age pyramids
LEDC
High infant mortality rates means a large band at the bottom, concave sides show a high death rate, narrow bands at the top show low life expectancy. Expansive pyramid shape shows population increase and natural increase is high.
MEDC
Narrow base show low birth rates, convex sides show a lower death rate, a lot of people over 60 show a high life expectancy. Contrastive pyramid shape shows that the population growth is very slow.
Impacts of a rapidly growing population
Pollution
More people require more products which puts a demand on manufacturing, this causes more fossil fuels to be burnt which leads to higher emissions of green house gases. This has an impact on people’s health e.g. China.
Water supply
If a countries population is growing rapidly it can overtake the supply of water which leads to a poor water supply, African countries have resorted to walking to the nearest water supply which can be far away and poor quality.
Deforestation/desertification
Rapidly growing populations require wood and land to cultivate and farm, for fuel or building materials. The loss of forest means nutrients is lost from the soil causing desertification.
China’s one child policy
Policy was introduced in 1979
The policy was introduced because China was heading for famine, it was relatively poor and had a high birth rate
Strategies used were free healthcare and education for one child families, free family planning available at work
Benefits of the policy were that birth rates dropped, there was enough food and jobs and better living standards
Problems of the policy were that boys were more valued than girls, an ageing population lead to dependency problems, local officials had power over people’s life and children ended up being spoilt
Changes in the policy happened between 1990-2000s where women were allowed more than one child in rural areas if the first child was a girl, young couples who have only one child are allowed two, although government workers must set an example and stick to one.
Kerala, India - Non birth control policy
Improving education standards and treating girls as equals to boys means that girls have a chance to decide when they have kids and what kind of jobs they want means it could lower the birth rate.
Educating people to understand the benefits of smaller families will lower the amount of children born because they realise if they have a smaller family they can afford to send them to school.
Ageing populations - East Devon, UK
There are 10 million people aged over 65 in the UK
This is 16% of the total population
Population pyramids in the UK are turning top heavy as there are more people over 65
This is caused by marrying later, having fewer children, living longer and improved wealth and education
The elderly population is not evenly spread across the UK as people move to best places to live which is the south west (East Devon)
Pull factors for elderly people to East Devon are the countryside, scenery, fossils and village lifestyle.
Push factors for young people are unaffordable housing, old people culture and fewer and well paid jobs.
This puts strain of healthcare services, housing needs change and transport.
The contribute towards the ‘grey pound’ which is the spending power of over 50’s. This contributes £215 billion towards the UK’s economy.
Strategies to cope with an ageing population
Incentivise migrant workers
Raise retirement age - fewer pensioners, generates more tax
Encourage young people to have more children - subsidised childcare, child tax credits
NHS reduce access to drugs for diseases of old age - increase death rate, expensive cancer treatments
Migration
Migration is the movement of people to live in a different place, either within the same country or to another country for longer than a year.
Immigration
People moving into a country or area
Emigration
People moving out of a country or area
