IGCSE Geography Notes on Population

Population key words

Population
All the inhabitants of a particular place

Carrying capacity
The ability of an area’s resources to support its population

Fertility rate
Average number of babies per woman

Infant mortality rate

Number of babies that die within their first year

Natural population change

Difference between the number of live births and deaths during a given time period

Population density
The measurement of population per unit area.
Population density = total population ÷ the total area (km²)

Population distribution
The pattern of settlement across the world or across a country

Overpopulation
When the size of population becomes larger than the amount of resources available

Underpopulation
When the size of population becomes smaller than the amount of resources available

Immigration
Action of moving into another country to live permanently

Migration
Action of moving into another country to live temporarily or permanently

Net migration
The difference between immigration into and emigration from the area during the year
 1. Overpopulation

Causes of overpopulation

- Falling death rates

- Increasing birth and fertility rates
- Underutilised contraception
- Frequent immigration
- Religious practices (e.g. polygamy) encouraging women to give birth to many
children

Effects of overpopulation

- Pressure on resources
- Insufficient food and water supplies
- Higher unemployment rates
- Poverty
- Poor access to housing
- Shortage of healthcare
- Inadequate sanitation
- Pressure on educational services
- Traffic congestion

Reasons for falling death rates:

- Babies inoculated against diseases and treated when ill

- Improved supplies of clean water (so less water-borne diseases)
- Improved food supplies (so less people dying due to malnutrition)
- Better healthcare: more clinics and hospitals with trained doctors and nurses

Reasons for high birth rates:

- Limited access to contraception due to poverty

- Lack of education about family planning in men and women
- Religious beliefs encouraging people to make large families
- Parents wanting many children to work for them and bring in income
 2. Population Density

Factors that influence population density:

Physical - Areas of flat land are densely populated, as it is easy to build homes
on flat land.

- Areas with fertile soil are densely populated, as people can produce
a high crop yield using fertile soil.

- Areas near a water source, e.g. river, are densely populated, as

people want to live in areas where water is easily accessible.

- Areas with very low amounts of rainfall, e.g. deserts, are sparsely
populated.

- Areas with very low temperatures, e.g. the North Pole, are sparsely
populated.

- Areas with too much vegetation per unit area, e.g. rainforests, are
sparsely populated.

Economic - More economically developed areas are usually densely populated,

as economic development improves access to roads and transport.

- Areas undergoing poverty are usually densely populated, due to

clusters of squatter settlements.

- Areas with better access to advanced healthcare are usually densely

populated.

- Areas with abundant job opportunities are usually densely populated.

- Areas with a large proportion of the workforce working in the tertiary

sector are densely populated.
 3. Population migration

Type of migrant Definition

Asylum seeker A person who leaves their country for fear of

persecution.
They have asked for permission to stay in another
country.

Refugee A person who leaves their country in fear of their lives.

They run away often with no idea where they will end up.
They have not asked for permission to stay in another
country.

Illegal immigrant A person who enters a country to live and work there
without permission.

Economic immigrant A person who moves to live and work in a different

country for at least a year.

Internal migrant A person who moves to live or work in a different place

within the same country.

Push factors of migration

- High unemployment rates

- Natural disaster
- Civil war
- Persecution
- Poor education
- High crime rates

Pull factors of migration

- Better healthcare
- Better job opportunities
- Higher standard of living
- Higher wages
- Better housing / shelter

Intervening obstacles in migration

- Costs of travelling
- Poor weather conditions / climate
- Passport / visa rules and restrictions
- Family attachments
Advantages of migration on the country losing people

- Money sent home by immigrants

- Decreases pressure on jobs and resources
- Migrants may return with new skills, which would increase labour productivity in the
country and encourage economic growth

Disadvantages

- People of working age move out, reducing the size of the country's workforce.
- Gender imbalances are caused as it is typically men who seek out to find
employment elsewhere. Women and children are left behind.
- If too many skilled workers leave, the labour productivity would decrease and result
in negative growth.

Advantages of migration on the destination country

- A richer and more diverse culture

- Reduces labour shortages
- Migrants from LEDCs might be prepared to take on low paid, low skilled jobs, while
still working hard, which would increase labour productivity
- May gain skilled workers, which increases the productive capacity of the country

Disadvantages

- Shortage of healthcare
- Shortage of education
- Increased cost of basic necessities, e.g. food and water
- Overcrowding, which may create squatter settlements
- Disagreements between different religions and cultures
- Communication problems
- Increased taxation to fund the expansion of health care and education.
 4. Demographic Transition Model

The demographic transition model shows population change over time - how changes in
birth rate and death rate affect the total population of a country.

Stage 1 Birth rate: remains constant, high

Death rate: changes slightly, high

Stage 2 Birth rate: remains constant

Death rate: decreases sharply

Stage 3 Birth rate: decreases sharply

Death rate: levels off gradually

Stage 4 Birth rate: changes slightly, low

Death rate: remains constant, low
Population Case Studies

For a named country you have studied, explain why the natural population growth
rate is low.

Name of country: Japan

Japan is located in East Asia. From the late 1970s, birth rates in Japan crashed and went
on to decline until 2020 from 12 persons per thousand population to -4 persons per
thousand population. There were several reasons for this.

One reason is because more young Japanese women receive better education about
family planning than the women from the previous generation, so women live more
career-oriented lives rather than being a mother.

Secondly, children are becoming increasingly expensive to raise, due to increased

childcare costs, so couples in Japan became more reluctant to raise children, as they can
afford a better standard of living if they have fewer children to support.

Thirdly, death rates in Japan are increasing and its ageing population has resulted in an
increased death rate. As death rates are now higher than birth rates, the population is in
decline.

For a named country you have studied, explain why the natural population growth
rate is high.

Name of country: Uganda

Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda has a population growth rate of
more than 3% due to its high birth rate of 44 births per 1000 people per year.

One reason the natural population growth rate is high in Uganda is due to low
socio-economic status of women. 34% women in Uganda have low education levels of
family planning and are very often thrown into early marriage to give birth.

Secondly, many people are Uganda follow polygamy, which encourages men to marry as
many as four women and each woman may have as many kids as possible.

Thirdly, Uganda is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 41% of the national
population living in poverty. Poverty causes limited access to contraception.
Name a country you have studied and give reasons why people have migrated from
it to another named country.

International migration from Mexico to USA

Mexico has been representing the largest source of immigration to the USA, accounting
for about 24% of the nearly 45 million foreign-born residents. In 2019, there were about
10.9 million Mexican-born individuals living in the USA. There were several reasons for
this.

One reason is because the labour wages are significantly higher in the USA, enabling
workers to afford a higher standard of living. While Mexican workers in the US average
$1,870 per month, the average wage in Mexico is only $291 per month.

Secondly, crime rates in the USA are considerably lower, making the country a much safer
place to live in. E.g. as of 2020, the homicide rate in the USA was 7.8 per 100,000,
whereas in Mexico, it was 14.93 per 100,000.

Thirdly, the economic situation in the USA is much better. As of 2020, USA has a GDP of
$ 20.94 trillion, whereas Mexico has a GDP of $ 1.076 trillion.

For a named country you have studied, describe a population policy or policies
which has been used to influence its growth rate.

Name of country: China

A number of countries have introduced population policies as a way of attempting to

control their population.
One of the policies that have attempted to reduce the rate of population growth by limiting
birth rates is the one-child policy by China.
It is a program that limits most Chinese families to one child each and was implemented
nationwide by the Chinese government in 1979, in order to fit population growth to the
economic targets of Deng Xiao Ping’s reforms.

The policy has been beneficial in terms of curbing population growth, aiding economic
growth, and improving the health and welfare of women and children.

On the negative side, there are concerns about demographic and sex imbalance and the
psychological effects for a generation of only children in the cities.

The program ended in 2016, with the reason that they have too many men, too many old
people, and too few young people. They have this huge crushing demographic crisis as a
result of the one-child policy.
For a named country you have studied, describe and explain the problems caused
by over‐population.

Name of country: Nigeria

Nigeria is located in West Africa. Nigeria is a highly overpopulated country, because while
it only makes up 3% of Africa, it is a home to over 15% of the continental population. This
has caused many problems for the country.

One problem is shortage of housing. There are over 24 million homeless people living in
Nigeria. This is because the resources needed to build homes are limited relative to the
national population, which means that not everyone in the nation can be accommodated.
This increases the inflation rate, raising the prices of houses beyond an affordable
amount.

Another problem is air pollution. The overall air pollution level of Nigeria is estimated to be
PM 2.5 concentration level at 202. Too many people means too much litter is produced
and the volume of waste increases everyday, causing some of the waste to gradually
evaporate, releasing toxic gases into the atmosphere.

For an example of international migration you have studied, describe the positive
and negative impacts on the destination country.

Name of destination country: Mexico to USA

Mexico has been representing the largest source of immigration to the USA, accounting
for about 24% of the nearly 45 million foreign-born residents. In 2019, there were about
10.9 million Mexican-born individuals living in the USA. Hence, its impact on society has
been tremendous in both positive and negative ways.

Mexican immigrants, both legal and illegal, have long met a significant portion of the
demand for cheap labour in the US. Thus, they benefit the US economy by working with
low wages and taking up jobs that other Americans do not want to take, e.g. janitors,
gardeners and construction workers.

The illegal entry to the US, via its southern border, of an estimated 500,000 people each
year, has led the US government to start building a security fence along the most sensitive
areas. Hence, it costs the USA millions of dollars for border patrols and prisons.

Money sent back to Mexico by the immigrants is money that is lost from the American
Economy, estimating about 38 billion USD each year.
For a country or area you have studied which is sparsely populated, explain why
there is a low population density.

Name of country or area: Australia

Australia is located between the Pacific and Indian Oceans in the Southern Hemisphere.
Australia is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world, with a population
density of only 3.4 persons/km². There are several reasons for this.

One reason is due to frequent droughts. Australia is one of the world’s driest continents,
with 70% of its land being arid or semi arid. As a result, water supply and fertile soil are
very limited in Australia, so many people do not favour living in Australia.

Secondly, Australia’s strict visa rules and requirements limit the number of foreigners who
can migrate to Australia. As of 2021, Australia has a net migration rate of only about 5.7
persons per 1000 population. Low net migration rate leads to a low number of residents in
Australia.

For a named country you have studied, describe the problems caused by an
increasing percentage of old dependents.

Name of country: Japan

Japan has a population of 127 million people and more than 20% are over the age of 65.
This huge proportion can prove to be quite problematic.

In general, the elderly require more expensive healthcare, which puts strain on medical
resources.

The elderly become economically inactive and have to rely on their family to support them,
which becomes very difficult and stressful for the economically active within a family.

It has been predicted that by 2025, there will be two dependents for every three who are
economically active in Japan.
The workforce may also become depleted if so many people are over the age of 65, and
youth services, e.g. schools, may be forced to shut down in rural areas due to a lack of
demand.
The social aspects of the country may also be affected, particularly for the younger
generations.