Population pyramids visually represent age and gender distribution, indicating indicators like birth and death rates, life expectancy, and migration patterns. The shape of the pyramid can reveal whether a country is economically developed or less developed and relates to the demographic transition model's stages. Shifts in the pyramid's structure can indicate societal changes and population trends, especially in response to policies aimed at family size and migration.

1. What Population Pyramids Show Us
KEY
slope of pyramid indicate the death rate
width of the base is related to birth rate/fertility rate
proportions of men and women can suggest male or female migrations
height of graph can indicate life expectancy (ignore the very thin end of the
wedge as occurs on graph B as these people are a definite minority)
"kinks" indicate dramatic reductions in birth rate or increases in
death rate in the past
area of graph indicates total population - compare areas of different
population age groups or different sex on one graph
The overall shape of the population pyramid can indicate whether it is an
Economically More Developed Country or Economically Less Developed Country
Economically
More
Developed
Country
Economically
Less
Developed
Country

2. Population Pyramids related to the
Demographic Transition Model
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4
Both birth rates and
Death rates are
High, so population
growth rates are
slow but population
Is usually restored
Due to high birth
Rate. Short life
Expectancy
EXAMPLES
Scotland before 1760
New Guinea
Remote parts of
Amazonia
Population starts
to grow at an
exponential rate due to fall
in Crude Death Rate. More
living In middle age.
Life expectancy rises
Infant mortality rate falls.
EXAMPLES
Scotland 1760 - 1830
Republic of Congo
Population continues
to grow but at slower
rate. Low C Death Rate.
Dramatically declining
Crude Birth Rate.
EXAMPLES
Scotland 1870 -1950
Algeria, Tunisia
Morocco
IMPLICATIONS IMPLICATIONS IMPLICATIONS IMPLICATIONS
Low Crude Birth Rate
and Crude Death Rate
Higher dependancy ratio
and longer life expectancy
Crude Death Rate does
Rise slightly because of
The ageing population
EXAMPLES
Scotland today.
Japan, USA
There is some merit in including or considering

3. Population pyramids are used to show information about the age
and gender of people in a specific country.
Male Female
Population in millions
In this
country
there is a
high Birth
Rate
There is
also a high
Death Rate.
This population pyramid is typical of countries
in poorer parts of the world (LEDCs.)

4. In some LEDCs the
government is
encouraging couples to
have smaller families.
This means the birth rate
has fallen.

5. Male Female
Population in millions
In this country
the number of
people in each
age group is
about the same.
The largest
category of
people were
born about
40 years ago.
In this country there is a low Birth Rate and a
low Death Rate.
This population pyramid is typical of countries
in the richer parts of the world (MEDCs.)

6. Population in millions
Male Female
In this
country the
birth rate is
decreasing.
In the future the elderly
people will make up the
largest section of the
population in this country.
This is happening
more and more in
many of the world’s
richer countries.

7. Male Female
Population in thousands
This country has a large number
of temporary workers. These
are people who migrate here
especially to find a job.

8. Population pyramid for
Mozambique.
Population pyramid for
Iceland.

9. What happens next?

11. What is going to happen to Japan’s population in
the future?
Why does this matter?

12. ?

13. ?

14. ?