The population pyramid displays the age and sex structure of a country or given area Usually, but not always, in % to make for easier comparisons between countries FEMALES To the right MALES To the left Population in Five Year Age bands OLD DEPENDANTS ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE YOUNG DEPENDANTS

Note: x axis here is total persons not percentage of population

How to read a population pyramid

Shape of the sides shows death rate: concave sides=high death rate convex sides=low death rate Angola Israel

Mexico’s “other” pyramids left: 1980 right: 2010 Concave to convex=death rates falling (this is Mexico entering what DTM stage?)

Width of base relates to birth rate (CBR) and fertility rate (TFR) Benin Netherlands

Base narrowing=falling birth rates (The first two pyramids shows South Korea moving through what stages of the DTM?) What stage does the last pyramid show?

Height of pyramid can indicate life expectancy (ignoring very thin tips) JapanAfghanistan

Irregularities or “kinks” in the sides indicate some demographic anomaly that caused rapid birth or death rates. Russia (kinky) India (not kinky)

U.S.’s kink: the post WWII baby boom

Canada had an even more pronounced baby boom after WWII than the U.S. Note when the baby boomers reached reproductive age they created a baby “boomlet”.

Finland’s “kinks”

Russia’s kinks

WWI + Russian Civil War Stalin Famines WWII WWII “echo” and Urbanization Echo of the echo Declining TFR

China’s kinks

Mao: “strength in numbers” “Great Leap Forward” One Child Policy

Iran’s kink

Contraception is anti-Islamic Contraception is ok after all

Population Pyramids related to the Demographic Transition Model Stage 1 Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4 Both birth rates and Death rates are High, so population growth rates are slow but population Is usually restored Due to high birth Rate. Short life Expectancy EXAMPLES: Afghanistan, Ivory Coast Population starts to grow at an exponential rate due to fall in Crude Death Rate. More living In middle age. Life expectancy rises Infant mortality rate falls. EXAMPLES: Jordan, Thailand Population continues to grow but at slower rate. Low C Death Rate. Dramatically declining Crude Birth Rate. EXAMPLES: Ireland, China, New Zealand IMPLICATIONS Low Crude Birth Rate and Crude Death Rate Higher dependency ratio and longer life expectancy Crude Death Rate does Rise slightly because of The ageing population EXAMPLES: United States, Japan There is some merit in including or considering a Stage 5 today with a declining population

Shape: classic pyramid Cape Verde: stage 2 in DTM Because of mid-20 th century famines, Cape Verde was one of last countries on earth to enter stage 2.

Shape: half ellipse Chile: stage 3 in DTM Chile moved into stage 2 (lowered death rates) in 1930’s and stage 3 (lowered birth rates due to family planning policies and bad economy) in the 1960’s

Shape: chimney Denmark: stage 4 in DTM Denmark has been in stage 4 showing little population growth since the 1970’s.

The two “billionaires”: China has suffered more cataclysmic demographic events than India. But looking past the “kinks”, what shape is China’s pyramid trending towards?

Now it’s your turn: 1) Working with a partner, analyze the 12 population pyramids on the back of your handout. 2) In the table provided, match the letter below the pyramid with the region or place it describes.

Naples, FLA

Sudan

Germany

Unalaska, AK

Botswana

Brazil

Washington, D.C. suburbs

Qatar

Iran

Japan, 2050 projection

Lawrence, KS (Univ. of Kansas)

AGHS AP Human Geography Class