Analyzing Population Pyramids Module 2

Overview A country where half of the population is very young has different problems than one with a large elderly population Population composition gives us a more detailed view of the population Sex ratio (gender) Dependency ratio (age) Marital status & education Population pyramids Y axis represents age X axis may represent raw numbers or a percentage of the population (M/F)

Rapid Growth Poorer stage 2/3 countries with higher death rates and even higher birth rates (Gaza Strip, Pakistan, Yemen, Guatemala, The Congo and Laos)

Moderate (& Slowing Growth) Stage 3 countries in transition to stage 4 as the birth rates decline. (Mexico and Sri Lanka)

Slow Growth Wealthier stage 4 countries with low birth and death rates experience slow growth. The rising bulge represents shrinking TFRs. Also, women outnumber the men at the top of the “pyramid” due to higher life expectancies. (US and Canada)

Population Decline Some countries, such as Denmark, are actually experiencing negative growth, and their population problems will deal with the very old, instead of the very young

Total Fertility Rate A countries TFR can reach replacement fertility (2.1) and not reach zero population growth (ZPG) Demographic momentum The child bearing cohorts are still large The elderly cohorts who are dying off are still small Basically, the birth rate has declined, though not enough to make up for the small number of people dying at the top of the pyramid. Canada’s TFR=1.5, NI=.3 France, China, Thailand, Ireland & S. Korea

Now you are ready for your assignments!