This document discusses factors that affect population growth and structure. It explains that population pyramids can provide information about a population's birth rate, death rate, life expectancy, and economic development. Key things that population pyramids indicate include the number of dependents in a population and whether a population has many young or elderly dependents. Population pyramids for different countries can show how their populations are structured at varying stages of demographic transition.

1. Factors affecting population
growth

2. Population structure
A population pyramid is a type of bar graph used to
show age and gender structure of a country, city or
other area.
What can a population pyramid tell us about a
population?
• Birth rate
• Death rate
• Life expectancy
• Economic development

4. Analysing Population Pyramids
Key things to know about population
pyramids
• The shape of a population pyramid can
tell us a lot about an area's population.
• It gives us information about birth and
death rates as well as life expectancy.
• A population pyramid tells us how
many dependants there are. There are
two groups of dependants; young
dependants (aged below 15) and
elderly dependants (aged over 65).
• Dependants rely upon the
economically active for economic
support.
• Many LEDCs have a high number of
young dependants, whilst many
MEDCs have a growing number of
elderly dependants.
UK, 2000
Mozambique, 2000

5. Population pyramids for countries at
different stages of the DTM
Turn to pages 178 and 179 in your text book as we are going to
look at some different examples.
Define the following key terms:
• Age structure
• Gender structure
• Infant mortality rate
• Child mortality
Look at the hand-out and stick
it into your notes.
What would stage 5 look like? Use page 179 to help you.
Democratic
Republic of the
Congo
I am an average citizen. I am
16 years old. I have had 5
brothers and sisters and
cousins but not all of them
are still alive. My
grandparents died at 52
years of age.
Japan
I am an average citizen. I am
44 years old. I have one
child. My grandparents are
all still alive and are in their
early eighties.
Mexico
I am an average citizen. I am
25 years old. My
grandparents are in their 70s
but are coming to the end of
their lives. I have a sister and
I also have 2 children.

6. Get into pairs…
On your mini white boards you are going to make a list each:
Person 1:Factors that can increase population
Person 2:Factors that can decrease population
Think in terms of social, economic, environmental & political.

7. What are the main factors affecting population
growth? Here are some clues…

8. 1. Agriculture
• Improvements in technology since the industrial
revolution allow more food to be produced whilst
reducing the need for labour.
• This frees some workers for industry and more
rapid economic growth.
• With technological advances even fewer people
are needed in farming and industry. This means
that smaller families are more desirable.

9. 2. Urbanisation
• Rural to urban migration is common in
poorer countries as cities are believed to
have greater opportunities.
• Migrants often seek better educational
opportunities for their children as well as
healthcare.
• In urban areas children are not needed to
work on farms and this means that
people have less children.

10. 3. Education
• In developing countries education is viewed by
parents as their children’s best chance for an
improved standard of living.
• If parents have fewer children they have more
money to spend on each child e.g. their
education.
• Many parents in LEDC now value have fewer
children who are educated.

11. 4. Emancipation of women
• Opportunities for women have increased in
education and the wider workforce.
• More women are undertaking high achieving and
high earning jobs. Many women are now deciding
to pursue a career instead of having children.
• With the increasing costs associated with having
children many women are now deciding not to have
children.
• Video of USA couple here
Read p177 and add more information to your notes.

12. If you have time….
Have a go at questions 3 and 4
on page 177.

13. Homework
Complete the
past exam
questions – 1a -
1b (11 marks in
total).