1. Unit 6
Population Growth

2. Absolute Population Growth
Absolute Growth refers to the actual change in population from one time period to that of another time period.
Example:
Sweden Population 1981 = 8,300,000
Sweden Population 1971 = 7,978,000
Absolute Population Change is:
8,300, ,978,000 = +322,000
Population GREW by 322,000 people!

3. Absolute Population Growth – NL Example
NL Population 2001= 512,930
NL Population 1991 = 568,474
Absolute Population Growth is:
512, ,474 = ,544
Population went DOWN by -55,544 people
Actually it didn’t grow – it shrunk!

4. Public Exam Example

5. Growth Rate Rate of change (%) in the population
Measured as a ratio of the population change to the original population.
Population change x
100 =
% Growth Rate
Original Population

6. Mexico’s population changed from 49 million to 72 million between the years 1971 & Calculate the GROWTH RATE for Mexico.
GR =
Pop. Change
X 100%
= __ %
Original Pop.
GR =
million
X 100% =
49 million
Growth Rate = 46.9%

7. “Annual” Growth Rate (AGR)
Measures how quickly the population is increasing (or decreasing) PER YEAR
Expressed as a percentage (% AGR)
FORMULA:
AGR =
Population Change
X 100
÷ years for change
Original Population

8. Mexico’s population changed from 49 million to 72 million between the years 1971 & Calculate the Annual Growth Rate for Mexico
AGR =
Pop. Change
X 100%
÷ years for change
Original Pop.
AGR =
million
X 100%
÷ 10 years for change
49 million
AGR = 4.7%

9. Public Exam Example

10. How Fast is Fast? Fast growing: 3 categories of growth rates.
AGR > 2%
Moderately growing:
AGR approx. = 2%
Slow growing:
AGR < 2%
3 categories of growth rates.
Slow, fast and moderately growing populations.

11. Sweden’s population changed from 7. 9 million to 8
Sweden’s population changed from 7.9 million to 8.3 million between the years 1971 & 1981
AGR =
Pop. Change
X 100%
÷ years for change
Original Pop.
AGR =
8.3 – 7.9 million
X 100%
÷ 10 years for change
7.9 million
AGR = 0.5%
Is Sweden slow, moderate or fast growing?
Mexico’s Annual Growth rate was at 4.7%...Is that slow, moderate or fast growing?

12. Trends in population growth rates
Most countries’ population growth rates are declining... Especially developed nations.
Generally speaking, the more developed the nation - the more stable the population.
This trend towards lower growth rates should not be confused with decreasing populations.
The world’s population is still growing at a phenomenal rate.
Look at figure 18.6as an illustration

13. Factors Affecting Population Growth Rates (7)
Education rate of the masses
Education of females
Employment for females
Ability to access birth control
Service sector jobs & the move from agriculture to urbanization
Health care
Others…

14. Education rate of the masses (2)
more aware of birth control
increased education is correlated with decreased number of children

15. Education of females (4)
the education of women has resulted in them taking on a greater variety of societal roles in developed nations.
Career-oriented, having children put on hold.
Number of children reduced.
Statistics show that more educated women tend to have fewer children.

16. Employment for females (4)
Females working outside the home are more common in developed nations.
This goes hand in hand with increased education.
Women are having children later in life and are having fewer children
Put family on hold to develop a career.

17. Ability to access birth control (3)
Birth control is a simple task in a developed nation, in lesser developed nations the cost is prohibitive.
Feeding the family takes precedent over birth control.
Furthermore the availability of places to obtain birth control is also a big problem.

18. Service sector jobs & the move from agriculture to urbanization (4)
people do not need large families to help on the farm as in the past or in under-developed countries.
Developing and developed countries - they work in the city where the jobs are predominantly in manufacturing and in the service sector.
Jobs - Birth rates also fall off when unemployment is low.
Affects an area's income and, thus, its access to many other factors listed. Higher income/more developed countries have lower birth and death rates.

19. Health care (4)
Prenatal and family planning services are expensive and are predominantly found in more developed nations.
Our government collects millions of dollars in taxes that contribute to public health nurses, hospitals, family planning clinics, and family living courses in grade school.
Can affect both death rate (by increasing average life expectancy) and birth rate (babies are more likely to survive past childhood).
Ex. Access to immunizations, family planning and birth control are also important to the overall picture of population growth.

20. Other Factors (3)
Age structure of the population - the number of women of child bearing age affects the rate of population growth (Births!).
Total fertility rate - Total fertility rate (TFR) is the average number of children that each woman will have in her lifetime and affects the birth rate.
Climate - Natural disasters such as drought or flooding can affect food resources and the population will be affected accordingly.

21. Other Factors (2)
Standard of living - Birth rates are lower where standards of living and quality of life are high. Unfortunately, standards of living are difficult to raise in areas where population growth is high - this creates a negative feedback loop that is difficult for some countries to get out of.
immigration/emigration - the number of people entering or leaving a country (area) actually changes the population in a more complex way than by altering birth rate or death rate.

22. Other Factors (2)
Disease - in a given year (or even decade) epidemics of infectious diseases can increase death rate dramatically, particularly for a specific area. For example, the bubonic plague, AIDS, etc..
War/political upheaval - War and political upheaval can also increase death rates.

23. Population Control – the short version!
WANT More ($ needed) =
Need better education =
Leads to better jobs =
MORE financial restraints = How so?
WORK MORE =
Less children / Wait to have them
need for contraception =
Population control.

24. What are some of the characteristics of developed countries with a near - static population growth?
Page 306 (textbook)
What stage of the demographics transition model is this consistent with?