Population

Global Population Increase and Population Structures

Key Idea:

Over time the global population increases and the population structures of different countries change

Specification Content:

The exponential rate of world population growth.
Countries pass through different stages of population growth as shown in the 5 stages of the Demographic Transition Model (birth rate, death rate and natural population changes). Changing population structure
The impact of increasing urbanisation, agricultural change, education and emancipation of women on the rate of population growth.

The exponential growth of world population

World population has gone from 1 billion people at the start of the 1800s to 7.4 billion today.

EXPONENTIAL:

As you get more people in the world you get more babies being born which means more babies can then be born in the next generation

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EXPONENTIAL POPULATION GROWTH

KEY TERMS:

Global population change:

Majority of population growth occurs in LDCs.
This happens due to medical advances which decreases IMR and education in the developing world improves.
Global population will stabilise in the future as the LDCs develop and high populations creates great strain on resources.

Demographic Transition Model:

Shows the stages that countries go through over time with respect to their population structure.

Eg. Stage 1 = High birth and death rates so population stays same

Stage 2 = Death rate falls while birth rate stays high so population increases.

Learn the model and reasons for the changes shown in the model.

Population Pyramids
Show the structure of a place’s population by age and gender categories.

Here are 2 contrasting population pyramids:

Expected Population Pyramids for DTM

The impact of a range of factors on the rate of population growth.

•Urbanisation: This helps to accelerate the rate of population growth as more people can fit into smaller areas of the world.

•Agricultural change: As technological improvements to farming occur we end up with greater crop yields that can support a larger population. As a result this speeds up population growth.

•Education: As people become more educated they start to gain a better understanding of disease control and the role of contraception. This slows down population growth and also results in people being able to achieve better paid jobs which means that smaller family sizes become a focus.

•Emancipation of women: As women become able to choose their paths in life, many take up careers which mean that they won’t be as focused on raising a family. This slows down population growth.

Population Policies

France: Pro Natalist Policy

(Started in 1939 but still in operation today)

France was a country with concerns that professional women were choosing not to have children. The government were worried that the population was not going to replace itself over time.

The incentives that were put in place to encourage three-children families were:

A cash incentive of £675 monthly (nearly the minimum wage) for a mother to stay off work for one year following the birth of her third child
The 'carte famille nombreuse' (large family card), giving large reductions on train fares
Income tax based on the more children the less tax to pay
Three years paid parental leave, which can be used by mothers or fathers
Government subsidised daycare for children under the age of three, and full time school places for over threes paid for by the government, this meant is was free for many with even the wealthiest paying only €500 per month

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SUCCESS!
The policy has resulted in France having one of the highest fertility rate in Europe even though it has decreased from the 1960 mark of 2.7 to 1.98 in 2007.

BUT WAIT!

The policy has created some problems for France. Due to the high fertility rate in the 1960s there is now a large amount of elderly people creating an ageing population in France that need supporting.

China: One Child Policy

(Started in 1979 & officially stopped in 2016)

The one-child policy, established in 1979, meant initially that each couple was allowed just one child. If you followed this rule benefits were offered that included increased access to education for all, plus childcare and healthcare for families following the rules

Developments to the Policy (since 1990):

The policy has had some changes made to it over time. As the population growth has slowed and the amount of babies been born each year has fallen, the government have been able to relax their rules slightly.

Couples who are both only children are allowed 2 children. Couples also now have more money as living conditions have improved and can now afford to pay a fine, allowing them to have another child. This would mean they no longer receive free education or health care for their child but many couples make this sacrifice in order to be able to have another child.

Abortions of baby girls is now prohibited and the government does not encourage this.

In Sichuan province, after the earthquake of 2008, the policy was relaxed because of the loss of many children who died during the disaster.

Advantages of the policy:

Directly deals with population growth, slowing it down.

More women in work

Government save money as less spending on infrastructure such as education and healthcare due to less people.

Quality of living in China has improved.

Disadvantages of the policy:

In spite of slowing the population growth, China’s population is still growing.

Severe gender imbalance in China (approx. 50 million more men than women in China)

China will face the problems of an ageing population in the future.

Little Emperor Syndrome due to children being spoilt

More pressure on single child to support parents when they reach old age.

Transmigration policy in Indonesia

Ageing Populations

2007 was the first year that the number of people over 65 outnumbered those under 16.
There are five times more people aged over 85 than there were in 1951.
In the UK there are 10 million people who are over the age of 65, that is 16% of the population
Adapting to this trend poses economic, social and political challenges which raise the dependency of older citizens and those of working age.

Ageing populations and the problems they create in the future

EXAM PRACTICE:

1. The following is a list of some problems linked to an ageing population…

1. More healthcare services are needed.
2. Fewer people are paying taxes.
3. More pensions need to be paid.

Choose two of the problems listed, or others that you have studied. Explain how each of your chosen problems can affect the future economic development of a country. (4) June 2013

The impacts associated with an ageing population

There are some benefits too:

-Some manufacturing companies have built up successful businesses by targeting elderly people for the bulk of their sales, such as the makers of chair lifts and mobility vehicles.

-Some pensioners (but by no means all) are well off and spend money in the leisure sector at off-peak times of the year. They extend the holiday season in coastal resorts.

The problems include:

Increased pension demand
Fewer working age people
Corporation tax goes up.
Employment gaps due to skilled workers retiring.
Greater demand on healthcare
Ensure you can explain why each one is a problem.

Coping with an ageing population: Some strategies adopted in the UK:

- The country will need more old people's homes, and more trained carers for elderly people. Higher taxes might be needed to pay for this.

-Elderly people in good health are happy to continue working beyond retirement age. New anti-ageism employment laws make this easier in the UK. Only a few companies, like B&Q, have recruited retired people.

-The government thinks each of us will have to save more towards pensions. People will also have to work longer - instead of retiring at 65 like we do now, we will have to work until at least 68.

-To prevent worker shortages and tax revenues coming in, the government has welcomed migrant workers into the UK. Many came from the new EU countries of eastern Europe. Some industries, like construction and farming for vegetables and fruit, depend on them

East Devon, UK – Ageing population case study

The UK’s elderly population is worth approx. £20 billion per year to our economy.

To make the most of this in East Devon there are an abundance of garden centres and leisure centres with specific classes for the aged. These centres host arts and crafts and computer skills courses.

In addition to helping support the local economy it also helps keep the elderly active and reduces the need for unnecessary medical treatment.

Across the UK:

There are challenges raising the necessary money to support all the pensions from our ageing population so within the UK in general there has been a push to encourage migrant workers to help make up the workforce and this helps to increase revenue created by tax.

East Devon – Strategies to help manage the UK’s ageing population

To cope with healthcare problems:

Intermediate healthcare centres have been set up to deal with minor injuries and ailments. The thinking behind this is to take pressure away from GPs and Hospitals.

The NHS is also offering health care visits to people’s homes. This is to stop ambulances and taxis having to transport people to and from hospital and it also frees up hospital beds from unnecessary usage.

The elderly population is spread out around East Devon:

This creates a strain on public transport as often elderly people require additional access arrangements on buses etc. To counter this they have set up a ring and ride service which elderly people can contact when they require transport assistance.