Key Population and Demography Definitions
Classified in Geography
Written at on 
English with a size of 3.79 KB.
Key Population Concepts
Census of Population
The process of collecting data on the number of individuals within a given population and their main characteristics (demographic, socioeconomic, socio-cultural, etc.). Censuses are typically conducted periodically.
Real Growth
The change in a population's size over a specific period, resulting from the balance between natural growth and net migration. It can be represented as: CR = CV + SM = (TN - TM) + (I - E), where CR is Real Growth, CV is Natural (Vegetative) Growth, SM is Net Migration, TN is Birth Rate, TM is Death Rate, I is Immigration, and E is Emigration.
Vegetative Growth (Natural Growth)
Measures the population change during a period due solely to the balance between births and deaths. Formula: CV = TN - TM (Birth Rate minus Death Rate). This is often expressed as a percentage (%).
Population Density
The relationship between the number of individuals composing a population and the geographic area it occupies. It is typically expressed as inhabitants per square kilometer (Hab./km2).
Emigration
The displacement of individuals from their home territory to another. We can distinguish between internal migration (within a state's borders) and external migration (crossing state borders). The primary causes are often economic.
Life Expectancy
An estimate of the average number of years an individual can expect to live from birth, or from reaching a certain age, assuming that current mortality levels remain constant. For example, in Spain in 2005, life expectancy at birth was approximately 83.9 years for women and 77.4 years for men.
Demographic Structure
The composition of a population according to various characteristics, such as gender, age, economic activity, marital status, education level, etc.
Rural Exodus
A migratory phenomenon involving the large-scale movement of people from rural areas to urban centers. These migrations typically involve a change in economic activity for the individuals moving.
Index of Aging
A measure calculated by comparing the size of the older population (typically aged 65 years and over) to the younger population (typically aged 0-15 years). If the ratio (Population 65+ / Population 0-15) is greater than 1, the population shows significant signs of aging.
Immigration
The movement of people into a specific territory from elsewhere. From the perspective of the inhabitants of the destination territory, this population influx constitutes immigration.
Pendulum Migration (Commuting)
The regular movement of a person between their place of residence and their place of work or study, which most often occurs on a daily basis.
Nomenclator (Gazetteer)
A list or register of population entities (such as municipalities, towns, villages) within a given territory. The Spanish Nomenclator, for example, includes official data on population counts, housing, distances in kilometers, altitude, etc., for the country's different municipalities.
Municipal Register (Padrón Municipal)
An administrative record maintained by municipalities, listing all residents (providing name, surname, address, and other characteristics). It serves as an authoritative public document for all administrative purposes related to residency. The Padrón is continuously updated to reflect births, deaths, changes of address, etc. It differs from the Census, which is a statistical survey conducted periodically (e.g., every 10 years in Spain) to provide a detailed snapshot of the population and housing stock at a specific point in time; individual census data is confidential.