Key Demographic Terms and Population Concepts Defined

Essential Glossary of Demographic Terms

Aging of the Population

A demographic trend characterized by an increase in the proportion of the population aged 65 or over, often defined when this group exceeds 12% of the total population.

Active Population (Labor Force)

A group of people aged 16 or over who provide labor for productive activities, are available for work, and are seeking incorporation into the labor market.

Actual Population

The group of individuals physically present in a territory at a specific time, composed of usual residents and temporary visitors.

Baby Boom

A period of strong growth in birth rates, usually occurring after a period of crisis (e.g., war or economic depression).

Census

The official process of counting individuals in a population at a specific time, collecting demographic, economic, and social data.

Civil Registration

An administrative system, often subsidiary to the administration of justice, responsible for officially recording births, deaths, and marriages within a territory.

Demography

The scientific study of population statistics, analyzing quantitative data obtained from various demographic sources.

Demographic Regime

A distinct stage in the evolution of a population's natural movement, characterized by homogeneous levels of fertility, mortality, and natural growth.

Demographic Transition

The process of transition between the old demographic regime and the modern regime, characterized by a sharp decline in mortality followed by a mild decline in the birth rate, resulting initially in high natural growth.

De Jure Population

All the people legally belonging to a territory, formed by present residents and absent residents during a given census period.

Emigration

The act of departing from a place of origin to settle elsewhere.

Immigration

The act of arriving at a destination territory from a place of origin.

Inactive Population

A group of people who are not part of the active population, meaning they are not gainfully employed or seeking employment (e.g., students, retirees, homemakers).

Life Expectancy

The average number of years a person is expected to live, based on current mortality rates for a specific population.

Malthusianism

An ideological current that postulates the voluntary reduction of fertility rates, often due to concerns about population growth exceeding resource availability.

Migration

The movement of a population across space, resulting in a change of residence.

Migration Flow

The movement or flow of people heading from a point of origin to a destination.

Migratory Balance

The net balance calculated as the difference between immigration and emigration over a specific period.

Municipal Register

An official register listing the residents of a municipality.

Natural Increase

The difference between the number of births and the number of deaths in a population over a specific period.

Population Density

The relationship between the number of inhabitants in an area and the size of the area they occupy. It is typically expressed in inhabitants per square kilometer (km²).

Population Pyramid

A bar chart showing the structure of a population by sex and age at a given time.

Sex Ratio

The ratio of the number of males to the number of females within a territory, often expressed as the number of males per 100 females.

Total Fertility Rate

Indicates the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime if she were to experience the current age-specific fertility rates.

Unemployment (Paro)

The state where members of the active population are without gainful employment but are available for work.