Understanding Global Population Trends and Their Impact

Posted on Sep 3, 2024 in Geography

Why High Birth Rates?

  • Desire for a son to carry the family name
  • Children needed to care for the elderly
  • Early marriage and childbirth
  • Religious restrictions on contraception
  • Lack of family planning
  • High infant mortality rate

Why Falling Death Rates?

  • Improved medical advancements
  • Increased access to clean water
  • Better understanding of nutrition and healthy lifestyles
  • Improved food supply and access

Why High Death Rates?

  • War and conflict
  • Natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes)
  • Lifestyle factors in developed countries (e.g., smoking, alcohol leading to cancer, obesity causing heart disease)

Human Development Index (HDI)

Based on:

  • Adult Literacy Rate: Percentage of people aged 15 and over who can read and write a simple sentence.
  • GDP per Capita: Total value of goods and services produced in a country over a year, divided by the population.
  • Life Expectancy: Average number of years a newborn baby is expected to live.

Quality of Life Index

  • GDP per capita
  • Adult literacy rate
  • Overall happiness levels

Natural Increase

Birth rate – death rate (divided by 10)

  • Positive answer: Population is growing
  • Negative answer: Population is decreasing

Reasons for Decreasing Growth Rate

  • Aging population
  • Family planning initiatives
  • Access to birth control
  • Limited healthcare access

Resources

Anything that people can utilize to improve their quality of life.

Optimum Population

The ideal balance between population and resources in a country, allowing for a high standard of living.

Overpopulation

When there are too many people for the available resources to support.

Underpopulation

When there are too few people compared to the available resources.

Malaria Cycle

  1. An infected mosquito bites a healthy person.
  2. Mosquito parasites reach the liver and reproduce.
  3. Parasites enter the bloodstream and infect red blood cells.
  4. Infected red blood cells burst and infect others.
  5. Blood can no longer supply sufficient oxygen to the body.
  6. Victims suffer from fever and lack of energy.
  7. An uninfected mosquito bites the infected person and becomes infected.

Elements of a Good Life

  • Quality education
  • Employment opportunities
  • Access to food and supplies
  • Literacy skills
  • Good health services and healthcare
  • Access to electricity

People in overpopulated countries often experience lower standards of living.

Demographic Transition Model

Stage 1 (Example: Rainforest Tribes)

  • High birth rates
  • High and fluctuating death rates
  • Low natural increase (low population)
  • Lack of birth control
  • Children needed for work
  • No contraception used
  • Prevalence of diseases and famine

Stage 2 (Example: Bangladesh)

  • Very high birth rates
  • High and decreasing death rates
  • Increasing natural increase
  • Early marriage
  • No birth control
  • No contraception
  • Cleaner water
  • More and better food

Stage 3 (Example: Brazil)

  • High but dropping birth rates
  • Decreasing death rates
  • Increasing natural increase
  • Access to birth control and contraception
  • Falling infant mortality rate
  • More and better food
  • Cleaner water

Stage 4 (Example: USA)

  • Low and fluctuating birth rates
  • Low and constant death rates
  • Little or no natural increase
  • People have desired number of children
  • Access to contraception
  • Better food and water

Stage 5 (Example: Japan)

  • Low and constant birth rates
  • Low and constant death rates
  • High and dropping natural increase
  • People have fewer children
  • Women are more independent
  • More and better food and clean water

High Rate of Natural Population Growth: Tanzania

  • One of the poorest countries in the world
  • High population density (78 people per square kilometer)
  • Average of 10 children per family
  • Children contribute to family livelihood
  • Life expectancy of 51 years
  • High infant mortality rate (1 in 10 children die before the age of 5)
  • Improvements in childcare and vaccination programs
  • Changing attitudes towards family size among women

Overpopulation: Niger

  • Total population of 13.3 million
  • High population growth rate (2.9%)
  • Low life expectancy (44 years)
  • High poverty rate (63% living below the poverty line)
  • Economy heavily reliant on agriculture (90%)
  • Highest fertility rate in the world
  • Nearly half of the population under 15 years old
  • Falling death rates due to cleaner water, healthcare improvements, and increased female education
  • Overpopulation challenges: insufficient land for agriculture, limited job opportunities, strained public services, and high unemployment

Low Rate of Population Growth: Japan

  • Aging population (22.9% elderly)
  • High dependency ratio
  • Shrinking population projected to decrease from 127 million to 90 million by 2055
  • Challenges related to an aging population, such as underutilized schools and increased investment in pensions
  • Potential labor shortages

Underpopulation: Australia

  • Population of 21.7 million
  • Relatively small labor force (11.6 million)
  • Strong economy with significant exports
  • Positive net migration rate
  • High GDP per capita
  • Low unemployment rate
  • Low population density
  • High literacy rate
  • Excellent healthcare system
  • Abundant natural resources
  • Potential to support a larger population