- A country’s population can increase as of result of a natural increase in the population such as with an increase in net immigration, increase in the
birth rate or a reduction in the death rate.
- Net immigration occurs when more people come into the country than
people who leave the country.
- The birth rate of an economy is likely to be high when there is a greater
proportion of younger people in the economy, women marrying at a
younger age, hugh rate of infant mortality or people aren’t aware of birth
control and contraceptives, poor family managing and low costs of raising children.
- In contrast, countries which have more educated and working women or
have higher costs of raising children and good family plannings available
will have a lower birth rate.
- Countries that go through famine, are war torn or where a greater amount
of the population are obese is likely to have a hugher death rate.
- In contrast, countries where people enjoy healthy diets and have a lot of
exercise and have really good healthcare services is likely to have a low
death rate.
- Net migration is influenced by difference between living standards athome and abroad, job opportunities and opportunities for promotion.
- population diagrams are used to show the distribution of the population of a country in different age groups.
- A country having a bottom heavy pyramid would have a high birth rate and death rate as well as a large proportion of young people and a small
proportion of elderly people.
- The most highly developed countries have a balanced population pyramid
which indicates a low birth and death rate and with a greater proportion of
the economy living longer.
- Greater the elderly people and children in an economy, greater the
pressure on the dependency ratio and vice versa.
- A country is said to have optimum population when the size of the
population can maximise the country’s output per head.
- A country is under populated when the resources available are greater than
the people or when the labour isn’t enough enough to make the best use of
the available resources.
- A country is overpopulated when the population is greater than the
resources available.
- The advantages of an increase in population are :
1- better use of resources if the population is below the optimum level
2- increase in the market size which would increase the sales of firms
3- potential increase in factor mobility which could improve the productivity and efficiency of the labour force in the economy, thereby increasing output and gdp
4- an increase in the labour force
The disadvantages of an increasing population are :
1- Famine, due to lack of resources to feed an ever growing population
2- A decline or restrictions on improving living standards
3- Overcrowding
4- Environmental pressure/ increase in pollution levels
5- Reduction in employment opportunities thereby increasing the unemployment rate
Some methods for reducing the birth rate in the economy include:
1- Improvement in the educational system and an increase in job opportunities for women as they are more likely to be aware of contraceptives and get married at a relatively later age
2- An increase in the availability of family planning services
3- Increase in costs to raise children[ this could have a negative impact on the economy such as increase in inflation potentially]
4- Improvement in health care and nutrition which could help to reduce the infant mortality rate
5- Better pension schemes set up by the government as one of the main reasons of having a greater number of kids is for the parents to have people to look after them once they become old and are retired
The consequences/ disadvantages of an ageing population are:
1- An increase in the dependency ratio
2- Negative impact on the labour force as older workers may find it difficult to operate the latest technology and are likely to be less mobile geographically and occupationally
3- Increased demand and therefore pressure on the healthcare service
4- Rise in demand and cost of welfare services and pensions
Bibliography:
The Course material is referred from IGCSE text book.
birth rate or a reduction in the death rate.
- Net immigration occurs when more people come into the country than
people who leave the country.
- The birth rate of an economy is likely to be high when there is a greater
proportion of younger people in the economy, women marrying at a
younger age, hugh rate of infant mortality or people aren’t aware of birth
control and contraceptives, poor family managing and low costs of raising children.
- In contrast, countries which have more educated and working women or
have higher costs of raising children and good family plannings available
will have a lower birth rate.
- Countries that go through famine, are war torn or where a greater amount
of the population are obese is likely to have a hugher death rate.
- In contrast, countries where people enjoy healthy diets and have a lot of
exercise and have really good healthcare services is likely to have a low
death rate.
- Net migration is influenced by difference between living standards athome and abroad, job opportunities and opportunities for promotion.
- population diagrams are used to show the distribution of the population of a country in different age groups.
- A country having a bottom heavy pyramid would have a high birth rate and death rate as well as a large proportion of young people and a small
proportion of elderly people.
- The most highly developed countries have a balanced population pyramid
which indicates a low birth and death rate and with a greater proportion of
the economy living longer.
- Greater the elderly people and children in an economy, greater the
pressure on the dependency ratio and vice versa.
- A country is said to have optimum population when the size of the
population can maximise the country’s output per head.
- A country is under populated when the resources available are greater than
the people or when the labour isn’t enough enough to make the best use of
the available resources.
- A country is overpopulated when the population is greater than the
resources available.
- The advantages of an increase in population are :
1- better use of resources if the population is below the optimum level
2- increase in the market size which would increase the sales of firms
3- potential increase in factor mobility which could improve the productivity and efficiency of the labour force in the economy, thereby increasing output and gdp
4- an increase in the labour force
The disadvantages of an increasing population are :
1- Famine, due to lack of resources to feed an ever growing population
2- A decline or restrictions on improving living standards
3- Overcrowding
4- Environmental pressure/ increase in pollution levels
5- Reduction in employment opportunities thereby increasing the unemployment rate
Some methods for reducing the birth rate in the economy include:
1- Improvement in the educational system and an increase in job opportunities for women as they are more likely to be aware of contraceptives and get married at a relatively later age
2- An increase in the availability of family planning services
3- Increase in costs to raise children[ this could have a negative impact on the economy such as increase in inflation potentially]
4- Improvement in health care and nutrition which could help to reduce the infant mortality rate
5- Better pension schemes set up by the government as one of the main reasons of having a greater number of kids is for the parents to have people to look after them once they become old and are retired
The consequences/ disadvantages of an ageing population are:
1- An increase in the dependency ratio
2- Negative impact on the labour force as older workers may find it difficult to operate the latest technology and are likely to be less mobile geographically and occupationally
3- Increased demand and therefore pressure on the healthcare service
4- Rise in demand and cost of welfare services and pensions
Bibliography:
The Course material is referred from IGCSE text book.