Population Pyramids A Scaffolded Analysis What is a

Population Pyramids A Scaffolded Analysis

What is a population pyramid? • A diagrammatic representation of the age and sex composition of a population. • Allows you to analyze trends in birth & death rates, fertility rates, infant mortality rates, life expectancy as well as in similarities and differences in gender. • Helps to make predictions about future growth or decline. • Can give insight to the status of a particular country (core, periphery, semiperiphery). • Is really two bar graphs, one male and one female, back to back.

What is a population pyramid? . . .

What is a population pyramid? . . .

Analyzing population pyramids • By only the shape of the population pyramid, you can make predictions about a country’s future growth • There are five general shapes to look for: I. Unstable II. Expanding III. Stable IV. Stationary V. Declining

Unstable Population • High birth & death rates • Low life expectancy • Brings a countries medical system or political system into question • lack of contraceptives • lack of medical treatment • Consider: Infant Mortality Rate • War? Disease?

Expanding Population • High birth rates • Death rates a bit lower, life expectancy starting to improve • Suggests a decent medical system • Expect the country’s population to increase rapidly • Lots of young people, not many elderly people • Medical improving, nutrition improving, standard of life improving

Stable Population • Slow growth • Low birth & death rate • High life expectancy • Birth rate > Death rate • Suggests a good medical system: availability of contraceptives and medical treatment • Incomes increasing, standard of living increasing, children are becoming more of an expense

Stationary / Slow Growth Population • All age groups similar • Birth & death rates low • Life Expectancy high • Less and less babies • No growth • Birth rate = death rate

Declining Population • No country has reached this stage yet, therefore this pyramid represents a prediction of future trends • Low birth & death rate • High Life Expectancy • Death rate > Birth rate

Canada’s Population Pyramid *What can we decipher about Canada’s population from this pyramid? Which of the five classifications might we give to Canada? How did our population pyramid reach this shape? Germany

Analyzing Pyramids Afghanistan 2009 • classification? • death rate? • birth rate? • life expectancy? • predicted growth? • periphery, semi-periphery or core?

Analyzing Pyramids United Kingdom 2009 • classification? • birth rate? • death rate? • life expectancy? • infant mortality? • predicted growth? • periphery, semi-periphery or core?

Analyzing Pyramids Brazil 2009 • classification? • birth rate? • death rate? • life expectancy? • infant mortality? • predicted growth? • periphery, semi-periphery or core?