Population Studies Flashcards
Define doubling time
The doubling time is the period of time required for a quantity to double in size or value.
What is the method for defining the distribution?
- General (overall pattern/ observation [even or uneven distribution] )
- Specific (group similar values; scale: continent, region (within continent), country; anomalies)
What are the characteristics of developed countries?
Extensive trade contracts; highly established transportation networks; high energy production and consumption; advanced medical facilities; high GDP, often > US$ 40,000 per year; high levels of education; high level of urbanization.
What are the characteristics of less developed countries?
Poorly developed trade and transportation; low energy production and consumption; poor medical facilities; low GDP, often less than US$ 3000 per year; high illiteracy and unemployment rates; subsistence farming.
What is the formula for birth rate?
(No. of births x 1000)/ Total population
Define birth rate
The number of babies born per thousand people in the population per year.
What is the formula for death rate?
(No. of deaths x 1000)/ Total population
Define death rate
The number of deaths per 1000 people in the population per year.
What is the formula for infant mortality rate?
(No. of infant mortality deaths x 1000)/ No. of babies born alive
Define infant mortality rate
Number of babies who die before reaching one year old per 1000 babies born alive in a year.
Define total fertility rate
The average number of live-births each female would have during her reproductive years if she were subject to the prevailing Age-Specific Fertility Rate in the population in the given year.
Define Replacement Fertility Rate
The level of fertility at which a given population is replacing itself.
Define Life Expectancy
The length of time a person bornin a given area can expect to live.
Define Sex Ratio
The number of males per 100 females in a population.
Define Net Migration
The figure obtained from the number of immigrants (people moving into the country) less the number of emigrants (people leaving the country).
Define Natural Increase
The natural growth in population resulting from an excess of births over deaths.
Define Natural Decrease
The natural decrease in population resulting from an excess of deaths over births.
Define Dependent Population
The population that depends on the adult working population to support it economically –comprises of children under 14 years of age (young dependents) and the aged who are 65 and above (elderly dependents).
What is the formula for Dependency Ratio?
[(young dependents + aged dependents) x 100]/ No. of working adults = no. of dependents per 100 working adults
Define Dependency Ratio
The ratio of the number of young (under 14) and aged dependents (above 65) to the number of working-age adults (aged 15 –64).
Define a population pyramid
A horizontal bar graph which provides information on the structure of a population of a particular location (country or city) for a particular year.
How do you describe a population pyramid?
General: shape of population pyramid
Specific: base, middle, top
What are the shapes of population pyramids?
Triangular, rocket, rectangular
What part of the population pyramid are there?
Base, middle, top
What does the shape of the population pyramid show you?
Elderly dependents
Young dependents
Economically Active
Sex ratio - balanced or imbalanced
What is the format for describing a population pyramid?
True pyramidal shaped, _______ base, _______ from middle section to the top
These indicate ________ BR, fertility rate & DR Population is _________
pop growth is ________
Youthful population with __________ of young dependents
Tapering top with ________ of old dependents
shows that life expectancy is ________________
Sex ratio is ____________
What can we infer about a country’s population from population pyramids
gives us information about birth and death rates as well aslife expectancy.
A population pyramid tells us how high the dependency ratio is
Dependants rely upon the economically active for economic support.
Many LDCs have a high number of young dependants, while many MDCs have a growing number of elderly dependants.
LDCs tend to have high dependency ratio, while MDCs tend to have low dependency ratio.
What is a model?
A model is an abstract representation of reality
Define demographic transition model
Model is based on historical population trends of two demographic characteristics - birth rate and death rate
Shows population change over time (4 stages) Countries’ total population growth rate changes through various stages
Observe trends in birth and death rates of various countries as it develops economically
Key characteristics of Stage 1
High birth rate, high death rate
Key characteristics of Stage 2
Falling death rate
Key characteristics of Stage 3
Falling birth rate
Key characteristics of Stage 4
Low birth rate, low death rate
Key characteristics of Stage 5
Low birth rate decreasing further
Who would find the DTM useful?
Governments and policy makers –in order to predict where the country is headed and to make appropriate policies
Social factors of birth and death rate
To continue family name; For prestige; Emancipation of women; Less need for replacement children; For labour in agricultural society ; Knowledge about better diet and healthy lifestyle; Family planning; Replacement children; Lack of access to contraceptives and knowledge of how to use contraceptives; Religious opposition to contraceptives and encouraging larger families; Decline in traditional beliefs and customs
Economic factors of birth and death rate
High cost of bearing children; Too poor to buy contraceptives
Political factors of birth and death rate
Wars
Environmental factors of birth and death rate
Natural disasters
Which stage of the DTM are most developing countries in? Explain your answer.
Stage 2 and stage 3 Death rates fall rapidly Birth rates begin to fall
•Improvements in medical care (e.g. more clinics, better trained doctors, vaccinations, etc.)
•Better sewers, water supply and sanitation
•Improved food supply and education
•Falling infant mortality rates less need for replacement children
•Laws against child work may be enacted, thus fewer children are born to serve as labour on family farms
•Education on contraceptives and family planning, which allows families to have fewer children
Which stage of the DTM are most developed countries in? Explain your answer.
Stage 4 and stage 5 Death rates remain low Birth rate falls further
birth rate: •Emancipation and education of women •Leads to later and fewer marriages, later child birth •Most people have access to a huge range of family planning options, allowing them to choose to have fewer children •Cost of living is high in DCs, thus people choose to have fewer children as it is expensive to raise them
What is the cause of an aging population
Low birth rate and low death rate •Life expectancy is high •People have few children, resulting in a shrinking of the young dependent population with each year •In addition, more people live to even older ages, adding to the elderly dependent population •Thus: population is predominantly elderly
Lower fertility rate •High cost of living and starting a family •Delayed / later marriages •Higher levels of education •Focus on career Lower death rate •Improved healthcare
What are the economic consequences of aging population?
Shortage of workers; push up wages; labour cost more expensive higher production cost; less attractive to foreign investors
Shortage of talented people; With a small population, Singapore would not be able to produce enough talented people to sustain its economic development; Unattractive to MNCs(multi-national corporations)
Higher average age of workforce, older workforce; A rapidly ageing workforce; lower level of innovation and productivity; Older workers may be less familiar with new technology/may be more comfortable with traditional and less efficient methods of production, harder for them to adapt to new practices; Shrinking workforce + lower productivity and innovation; difficult to support economic growth
What are the social consequences of aging population?
Increase in dependency ratio:
•Growing percentage of aged compared to the young
•More people claiming pension benefits, less people working and paying income taxes
•Higher tax rates on the current, shrinking workforce. •Those in work may have to pay higher taxes; More strain on economically active population; 1985: 8.5 people to support one old person; 2030: 2 people to support one old person
Increase demand for more geriatric and palliative healthcare as well as other social services
•Need to upgrade existing facilities to make them more elderly friendly; Increased government spending on health care and pensions; Divert resources from other development projects (e.g. infrastructure development)
Underutilisation of facilities:
Under-utilisation of facilities previously built for a large population
•Schools – financial resources are needed to maintain them but they may not be utilized to their maximum capacity
•represents a wastage in resources
Changing sectors in the economy
•An increase in the numbers of retired people will create a bigger market for goods and services linked to older people
E.g. Retirement homes, hospitals
May lead to closure or merger of existing facilities which are underused
Fewer child bearing women
•Even fewer children will be born each year
•Vicious cycle which contributes to a declining birth rate
More difficult to raise the birth rate in the future with a smaller population
•May cause population to shrink in the absence of migration
What are the political consequences of an aging population?
Weakened defence force
•With a declining birth rate, there would be fewer young men to recruit for National Service.
•Singapore’s development and defence needs may not be met
•Making it vulnerable to external challenges / potential aggressors
•Reduction in Singapore’s defence capabilities
Weakened defence force presents Singapore as an easy target
•Singapore’s future, survival and independence/sovereignty will be threatened.
•May also discourage potential investors from investing in Singapore’s economy due to perceived instability and vulnerability
•Lower economic growth
What are the positive consequences of an aging population?
Rise in silver industry
•Continued improvements in healthcare sector •Development of new technology catered for elderly
How do we manage again population?
Increase birth rate Pro-natalist policies •A population policy which aims to encourage more births through the use of incentives Focus on 3 main areas: •Encouraging marriage •E.g. Housing schemes and grants •Encouraging the having and raising of children •E.g. Enhanced Baby Bonus Scheme •E.g. Tax Deductions •Supporting Work-Life Harmony •E.g. Leave schemes Tax deductions Includes tax rebates and relief Reduces the total amount of tax one has to pay •Parenthood Tax Rebate •Working Mother’s Child Relief •Grandparent Caregiver Relief •Reduce cost of raising children
What is parenthood tax rebate?
- Parents are eligible to claim tax rebates for each child born:
- 1stchild: $5 000
- 2ndchild: $10 000
- 3rdchild onwards: $20 000
What is Working Mother’s Child Relief?
- Working mothers can claim tax relief for each child born:
- 1stchild: 15% of mother’s income
- 2ndchild: 20% of mother’s income
- 3rdchild onwards: 25% of mother’s income
- Pre-requisites:
- Mother must be married, divorced or widowed
- Child must be a Singaporean citizen
What is Grandparent Caregiver Relief?
- Allows working mothers to claim tax relief if their parent/grandparent is helping to care for the child
- Can claim up to $3000 tax relief
- Pre-requisites:
- For working mothers only
- Grandparent caregiver cannot be working
