Demography is the statistical study of human populations and encompasses the size, structure, and distribution of populations over time and space in response to births, deaths, and migration. Demographic data can be collected directly from vital records like censuses or birth/death records, or indirectly by surveying samples about topics like fertility rates. The scope of demography includes both macro-level trends like economic issues and population growth, as well as micro-level topics like individual families. A balanced view of demography encompasses factors like population size, composition, distribution, labor forces, and population policies.

1. DEMOGRAPHY

2. Demography is the statistical study of
human population.
It encompasses the study of the size,
structure and distribution of these
populations, and spatial and/or temporal
changes in them in response to birth,
migration, aging and death.

3. Collection of demographic data can be
broadly categorized into two methods:
DIRECT AND INDIRECT:
Direct demographic data collection is
the process of collecting data straight from
statistics registries which are responsible for
tracking all birth and death records and also
records pertaining to marital status and
migration. Perhaps the most common and
popular methods of direct collection of
demographic data is the census.

4. The indirect method of demographic data
collection may involve only certain people or
informants in trying to get data for the entire
population. For instance, one of the indirect
demographic data methods is the sister method. In
this method, a researchers only asks all the women
on the number of their sisters who have died or
have had children who have died at what age they
died. From the collected data, the researchers will
draw their analysis and conclusions based on
indirect estimates on birth and death rates and
then apply some mathematical formula.

5. SCOPE
Those who want to enlarge the scope
can be called the Macro demographic
group and those who maintain narrow
view can be put in the micro
demography group.

6. Macro Demography
Under macro demography the writers
have studied the causes of slow or rapid grow of
birth rate, death rate, population growth, sex ratio
and health conditions, etc.
Many economic issues like
unemployment, income condition of the masses,
standard of living, labor conditions and living
standard, production, consumption, saving-habits,
correlation between population and economic
development are all part of Macro Demography
Study

7. According to the narrow view we study
demography as small units like individual,
family, group etc In fact these units
constitute the primary elements of macro
analysis. For instance if we study the fertility
rate of women
BALANCED VIEW OF DEMOGRAPHY
These schools of thought have presented a
balanced view of the nature and scope of
demography.

8. According to Whipple the subject matter of
demography comprises of:
(I) Geneology, Ancestory and their records
(2) Human Eugenics.
(3) Registration of vital events
(4) Census of Population
(5) Biometrics dealing with the study of
structure, growth and strength of human
body
(6) Path metrics dealing with the knowledge.
of disease and anatomy

9. In short, in the subject matter of Demography
we study the following:
Size:
The number of people living in a given
place at a given time, its comparison with
previous period and the future projection are
important elements of size of population.
Composition of Population:
Composition of population covers alt the
measurable characteristics of the people who
form a given population. The most widely
used characteristics are age and sex.

10.  Distribution of Population:
Under it we study how are people distributed in
the world in the categories labeled advanced urban
industrial regions. The changes taking place in the
numbers and proportions in different categories
and their -causes are also important.
 Labor Force:
Labor force constitutes an important field of
economic study. Labor force falls into two classes,
viz., economically active labor force and
economically dependent or inactive labor force.

11.  Population Policy:
The need of proper population policy has
come to occupy an indispensable adjunct of
population of planning.
Population policy study embrace, Items
like the philosophy and guiding principles
of population policy, the magnitudes of the
prob1em, organizational structure of policy
frame, services and supplies, education and
motivation family planning targets, family
planning progress and achievement family
planning expenditure, births averted and
effect on birth rate, etc