Patterns of Population Growth (2024)

In this unit, we will study how humans react to both natural and man-made changes on Earth's surface. There is no greater way to study human geography than through data collection on populations. There are many different questions we could ask about a population that will explain how they and why they live their lives the way that they do.There are basic questions, like "how many people are there?", "Is there an equal amount of males and females?", and "How old are they?"

Eventually, the questions we ask about a population will become more detailed. How many schools are there? What kind of houses of worship are there? How does this specific area generate income (make money)? How old is the labor force? These questions can be answered by studying the country's population growth, or the total percentage of births and deaths over a period of one year in addition to the number of people immigrating to and emigrating from that country during the same time period.

Aside from the total size, the most important demographic characteristic of a population is its age and gender structure, or the proportion of people at each age divided between males and females. The age-gender structure determines potential for future growth of specific age groups, as well as the total population. For these reasons, the age structure has significant government policy implications. A population of young people needs a sufficient number of schools and, later, enough jobs to accommodate them. Countries with a large proportion of older people must develop retirement systems and medical facilities to serve them. Therefore, as a population ages, needs change from childcare and schools to jobs, housing, and medical care.

Patterns of Population Growth (1)

Population Pyramids
The age-gender structure of a country can be studied through population pyramids. The overall shape of the pyramid indicates the potential for future growth. The four representations of population age-gender structure provide an overall example of what a pyramid for different levels of population growth would look like --rapid growth, slow growth, zero growth, and negative growth. The horizontal bars show the percentage (or in some cases the actual numbers) of males and females in each age group.

See Also
Growth

Rapid Growth
​A country with a rapid growth has a population that is increasing at a very quick rate. This will usually indicate that the country has a high birth rate (a lot of babies are being born). It also means that people are not expected to live very long, because the amount of people who are getting older is much smaller. The smaller population of older age groups could also be an indicator of the country's emigration rate, the amount of people leaving a country. This is usually a result of sub-standard or non-existent health care, and has a higher chance of happening in developing or emerging nations. Countries experiencing rapid growth will have a triangle shaped population pyramid like the one on the right.

Patterns of Population Growth (2)

Patterns of Population Growth (3)

Slow Growth
A country experiencing slow growth usually indicates that the country will be a developed nation, like the United States. The population will show a smaller number of children and larger number of adults over the age of 18. It will also show an increase in life expectancy (people are living longer), a reflection of the better quality healthcare available.Larger population numbers can also be explained by immigration rates, the number of people who come to live in the country from other places. The population pyramid will show more of a square shape, like the one on the left.

Zero Population Growth
When a country has an equal amount of birth and death rates along with an equal amount of immigration and emigration rate, they are considered to be in a balanced population. A balanced population is referred to as zero population growth, and is usually achieved only in more developed nations. The goal of every nation is to achieve zero population growth. A population pyramid displaying zero population growth will show an almost equal percentage of age groups all across the board.

Patterns of Population Growth (4)

Patterns of Population Growth (5)

Negative Growth
A decrease in birth rates and immigration rates while experiencing an increase in elderly people and emigration rates indicates the country is experiencing a negative growth rate. The population will almost be upside down when compared to a rapid growth pyramid.

Patterns of Population Growth (2024)

FAQs

Patterns of Population Growth? ›

Populations can grow exponentially under ideal conditions, with growth rate increasing as population size increases. Most populations grow logistically, not exponentially, due to non-ideal conditions. Density-dependent factors, such as limited resources, slow population growth as size nears the carrying capacity.

What are the 4 types of growth patterns? ›

6.20: Population Growth Patterns
  • Exponential Growth.
  • Logistic Growth.
  • K-Selected and r-Selected Species.
Mar 5, 2021

What are the 3 types of population growth? ›

There are generally three types of population pyramids created from age-sex distributions-- expansive, constrictive and stationary. Examples of these three types of population pyramids appear at the end of this report.

What are the patterns of population? ›

Individuals may be distributed in a uniform, random, or clumped pattern. Uniform means that the population is evenly spaced, random indicates random spacing, and clumped means that the population is distributed in clusters.

What are the 4 patterns of population fluctuation? ›

The patterns among specific species vary, but there are four general types of population fluctuations: stable, irruptive, cyclic, and irregular.

What are the 2 major patterns of growth? ›

Cephalocaudal and proximodistal development theories give a directional development to functional motor skills and the physical growth. The difference between these two theories is in the direction of growth they support. In cephalocaudal growth, growth starts from the head and moves down to the feet.

What is the pattern of population growth in the world? ›

The global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to 7.9 billion in 2020. The UN projected population to keep growing, and estimates have put the total population at 8.6 billion by mid-2030, 9.8 billion by mid-2050 and 11.2 billion by 2100.

What are the 4 causes of population growth? ›

Population grows at different rates in different countries because of factors like birth rate, mortality rate, fertility rate, and net migration.

What is the population growth cycle? ›

A population cycle in zoology is a phenomenon where populations rise and fall over a predictable period of time. There are some species where population numbers have reasonably predictable patterns of change although the full reasons for population cycles is one of the major unsolved ecological problems.

What are the 4 stages of the growth cycle? ›

Most experts believe there are four principal stages of business growth—startup, growth, maturity, and renewal or decline. However, some businesses may experience additional stages of growth, such as a shake-up or market introduction.

What are the 4 principles of growth? ›

Understand the basic principles of child growth and development: Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social (PIES).

What are the strategies 4 growth? ›

In the paper, he describes four means of growing an organization that corresponds to the four quadrants of a product-market matrix. The four strategies Ansoff identifies are market penetration, product development, market development, and diversification.

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