Key Demographic Indicators and Population Distribution

Key Demographic Indicators

• Population Density: Number of inhabitants per surface area of the place.
• Crude Birth Rate (CBR): Number of births per 1,000 inhabitants.
• Total Fertility Rate (TFR): Average number of births per woman aged 15–49.
• Crude Death Rate (CDR): Number of deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.
• Infant Death Rate (IDR): Number of deaths of infants under one year per 1,000 live births in that year.
• Rate of Natural Increase (RNI): (Number of births - Number of deaths) / Number of inhabitants × 100.

Population Distribution Factors

Distribution of population is uneven (currently around 7 billion people).

Factors Encouraging Settlement

• Positive Factors: Encourage people to live in an area.
• Physical Factors: Natural elements including relief, climate, vegetation, soils, natural resources, and water supply.
• Human Factors: Elements created by people, such as roads, factories, government investment, improved housing, education, and health care.

Factors Discouraging Settlement

• Negative Factors: Discourage people to live in an area.

Stages of Population Change

Until the 19th century, world population grew slowly. In 1750, there were about 800 million people.

• Improvements in agriculture, medicine, and hygiene in developed countries reduced the death rate, causing rapid population increase. By 1800, the population reached 1.7 billion.
• During the second half of the 20th century, population growth accelerated: from 3 billion in 1960 to 6 billion in 1999 (a population boom that can lead to shortages of food and other basic needs).
• Today, the population is around 7 billion. Projections suggest 9 billion by 2050 and about 10.6 billion by 2080 (after which it may start to decline).

Population Pyramids Analysis

Pyramid Shapes and Characteristics

• Stable (Stage 1): Concave sides, high birth rates, high death rates, short life expectancy.
• Expansive (Stage 2): Straight sides, high birth rate, lower death rate than Stage 1, short life expectancy (but better than stable).
• Stationary (Stage 3): Convex sides, declining birth rate, low death rate, long life expectancy.
• Contractive (Stage 4): Convex sides, low birth rates, low death rate, long life expectancy; population is older on average. Typical for MEDCs (More Economically Developed Countries).

Interpreting Pyramids

• The height indicates life expectancy.
• The steepness of the sides indicates the death rate.
• The size of the base indicates the birth rate.

Demographic Challenges and Solutions

MEDCs: Population Ageing

Problems

• Population Ageing: Higher living standards and better health care lead to longer lives (increased life expectancy), causing the population to age. Governments face higher costs for healthcare, elderly centers, and pensions, leading to a larger economically dependent population.

Solutions

• Encouraging higher birth rates.
• Covering social costs of an ageing population by increasing taxes, delaying retirement age, or reducing pensions.

LEDCs: Overpopulation

Problems

• Overpopulation: Occurs when the population grows very quickly, and the resources of an area (food, water, good soils, building materials) cannot support the inhabitants. This hinders development, improvement in quality of life, and standard of living. It results in too many children for schools and not enough jobs for adults.

Solutions

• Implement family planning policies.