Why is it important for geographers to study population trends

Any more than that and the population will grow, any less than a NIR of 2. The reason why the NIR percent is 2. Once we know the NIR, we can determine the doubling time. Doubling time is how many years it would take for a defined population to double in size, assuming that NIR stays the same over time. Three key factors to understand when trying to predict or analyze population change are the total fertility rate, infant mortality rate, and life expectancy at birth.

Total fertility rate TFR is the average number of children a woman would be expected to have during childbearing years between years old. The global average for TFRs is about 2. Fertility patterns can vary widely within countries. Racial and ethnic minorities may have higher fertility rates than the majority, and families with low incomes or low levels of education typically have more children than those that are affluent or well-educated.

Women who work outside the home typically have fewer children than those who stay home, and rural families tend to have more children than city dwellers. In , the number of births per 1, people worldwide was 20, with extremes ranging from a low of 8 or 9 mainly in Northern and Western Europe and Hong Kong , to 60 or more in a few West African nations Population Reference Bureau, World Population Data Sheet, pp.

Mortality is the second significant variable that shapes population trends. Death rates are highest among infants, young children, and the elderly, so societies with many older adults are likely to have more deaths per 1, people than those where most citizens are young adults.

Developed countries with excellent medical services have more people in older age brackets than developing countries, so the developed societies can have higher death rates even though they are healthier places to live overall.

Infant mortality rate IMR is determined by calculating how many children die before the age of 1 per 1, live births annually. The highest IMRs are in less developed countries where rates can be as high as 80 or more. Conversely, in a place like Europe, it is as low as 5 percent. Life expectancy at birth is straightforward—it is an average of how many years a newborn is expected to live, assuming that mortality rates stay consistent.

In more developed countries, the average life expectancy is over 80 years old, and in less developed countries, it is only around 40 years Figure 2. This causes high stress on the education systems and, to some extent, the health care systems in poorer countries. However, more developed countries tend to have older demographics, which tends to cause stress on the health care and social safety nets of those countries.

Introduction to Human Geography by R. Skip to content Geographers study where and why people live in particular locations. Image Old London Demographic Notebook Early demographic studies were often carried out by insurance agents to determine life insurance rates. Photograph by whitemay. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.

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Educational Resources in Your Inbox. Educational Resources in Your Inbox Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Introductory reading s Demographics : a guide to methods and data sources for media, business, and government by Steve H.

Demographics has become a critical dimension of the work of many journalists, business professionals, and government analysts and managers. Yet those who are not professional demographers often find locating and effectively using demographics difficult. Demographics provides a single-volume resource that is readily understandable by everyone.

It describes and demonstrates how students and working professionals can obtain, use, and communicate demographic information effectively. This 4 volume set looks at population and demography. This is a good starting place for research.

Malthus : a very short introduction by Donald Winch. Thomas Robert Malthus was an English cleric whose ideas, as expounded in his most famous work the Essay on the Principle of Population , caused a storm of controversy.

In this Very Short Introduction , Donald Winch explains and clarifies Malthus's ideas, assessing the profound influence he has had on modern economic thought. Population : an introduction to concepts and issues by John R. Demographics just got a lot more interesting, thanks to this book's compelling writing and intriguing essays.

Population does more than give you information; it also shows you how to use it. From the debate over how to rebuild the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina to what should be done about Social Security and Medicare, Population lets you apply the research yourself. Selected book titles Uncertain demographics and fiscal sustainability by Juha M. Alho, Svend E. Hougaard Jensen, Jukka Lassila, eds. A population history of the Huron-Petun, A. The new demographic regime : population challenges and policy responses by Miroslav Macura, Alphonse L.

MacDonald and Werner Haug, eds. From persons to people : further studies in the politics of population by William Petersen. Problems associated with aggregation and classification are the underlying theme of this book. When data assembled from individuals are presented as group characteristics, this process has logical complications. Racial profiling and ethnic discrimination are obvious examples of the problem. Petersen's book analyzes in general how information from "persons" turns into statistics about specific "people.

The growth of humanity by Barry A. The demographic dividend : a new perspective on the economic consequences of population change by David E. Bloom, David Canning, Jaypee Sevilla. Plan B : rescuing a planet under stress and a civilization in trouble by Lester R. Continuity and change. Population and environment. Population research and policy review. Select personalised ads.

Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Amanda Briney. Geography Expert. Amanda Briney, M. Featured Video.

Cite this Article Format. Briney, Amanda. Population Geography. Population Growth and Movement in the Industrial Revolution. What Is the Demographic Transition Model? Current World Population and Future Projections.