Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Population Change

Good Essays
1149 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Population Change
How does the evidence from personal, local and national sources help us understand the pattern of population change in the UK?
There are many different components that all add together for the reason why population does change in a specific location. This change is considered ‘dynamic’ as it is constantly changing due to many factors that are always effecting the rate of population change.
One of the biggest influences of population change would be the birth and death rates of an area. Birth/death rate is the total number of births/deaths per 1,000 of a population in a year. The rate of births/deaths in a population is calculated in various ways such as, population counts from a census. The birth rate (along with mortality and migration rate) are used to calculate population change.
An ageing population would be the result of when more people are living to an older age. The specific term used to describe this is ‘greying population’. There is currently a greying population occurring in the UK which has resulted in the population increasing as there are more people alive. However, there are factors that stabilise this growth of population. There has been a decrease in the number of children being born because people are choosing to have children later and less of them. This is shown by the data which displays that in 1971, there where almost twice as many under 16 year olds in relation to people over the age of 65. (14.3m>7.4m). As a result of the UK’s greying population. As a result of the UK’s greying population and decrease in birth rates, by 2005 these figures where much closer. (11.6m>9.6m).
Population pyramids are used to compare the population between two locations. The Thanet and average Kent districts population can be shown on a population pyramid to illustrate how population can change on a local scale in the UK. The 2012(Mid-year) population pyramid shows that both Thanet and Kent have very similar population pyramid shapes. However, there is an obviously greater number of over 80s of Thanet females in comparison to the average Kent District over 80.
Another good example of population change would be how family sizes have changed over time. My Mum and dad had a total of 8 siblings (Including themselves) whereas I only have 5. This illustrates how family sizes have decreased in the UK over 1 generation. Reasons for this may be better sexual education amongst adults I the UK as sex education is now widely taught in UK schools whereas the majority of school when my parents where children to not offer this education. Another possible reason for this decline would be a better quality of living which encourage women to choose individual careers over settling down and having children. Other data that can back this up would be data from the Office for National Statistics. 32% of women born in 1981 had not had children by the year 2013. In comparison, 23% of women born in 1955 had not yet had children by that age.

The Demographic Transition Model is used to show population change over time. It looks into how birth rate and death rate affect the total population of the country. There are five different stages to the DTM which are used to describe the birth and death rates and give basic reason to why the population has changed. The five stages of the demographic transition model are:
1. Total population is low but is balanced due to high birth rates and high death rates.
2. Total population rises as death rates fall due to improvements in health care and sanitation. Birth rates remain high.
3. Total population is still rising rapidly. The gap between birth and death rates narrows due to the availability of contraception and fewer children being needed to work - due to the mechanisation of farming. The natural increase is high.
4. Total population is high, but is balanced by a low birth rate and a low death rate. Birth control is widely available and there is a desire for smaller families.
5. Total population is high but going into decline due to an ageing population. There is a continued desire for smaller families, with people opting to have children later in life.
As a country passes through the demographic transition model, the total population rises. Most LEDCs are at stage 2 or 3 (with a growing population and a high natural increase). Most MEDCs are now at stage 4 of the model and some such as Germany have entered stage 5.

As countries move through the stages of the DTM, the gap between birth/death rates widens and then narrows. The model was initially used after studying the experiences of countries in Western Europe and North America. This means the DTM may not be appropriate to be used for LEDC’s in different parts of the world. However it remains useful when looking at the UK’s population change. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/population/population_change_structure_rev4.shtml Population can also be looked at through a local scale by using a Census. A ‘census’ is an official count or survey that is used on a specific area to find out the population of the area. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics from the Census show the population in Kent 2011 reached 1,272,800. This is a 9% increase since the last Census that was carried out in 2001 with a population of 1,580,800.

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/kents-growing-population-a62543/

There are also many economic factors that affect the rate of which population changes and how it does change. People who have ‘comfortable’ financial lifestyles can cause increases in population. This is because they are better equipped to support multiple children. This means they may take advantage of this position and actually have more children which means there may be reason for the UK’s population in relation to our economy. However, some people receive government support (benefits) as they have multiple children despite being financially responsible for themselves. This suggests that although there is more incentive to have children if you can support your children, people will continue to have children anyway due to the financial welfare the UK government offers.
I personally will choose to have children at a similar age to which my dad had me (30 years old.) However the number of children I would have would depend on my economic status at the time as I would not choose to have children if I could not support them. This thought of mind is mostly due to education through school and family which may be a possible reason for rapidly increasing population in third world countries. This is because families/children may not have access to school and therefore cannot pass on this knowledge of being able to support a larger family.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In Liverpool growth has been driven not only by increases in population but also by the nature of residential…

    • 1596 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Population and Sampling

    • 737 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Every decade the US government conducts a census on the population. The data provided in this census is then used for reseach purposes, business marketing, planning, and various other sampling needs. This leads to the question of “What is population?” This can be defined as people that occupy a town which is located in specific region within a specific county/state, and their individual characteristic such as sex, age, ethnicity or marital status. The term “population” is made up of all members and/or elements in that defined group. The basic topics covered in population are birth, growth, age and death.…

    • 737 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In 2000 within the UK there were 604, 441 births and these rates have continued to rise through out the years. Between 2001 and 2012 birth rates continued and rose 23%. There were 706, 248 births in England in 2009, compared with 723, 165 in 2010, which meant that birth rates have risen by 2.4%. In 2013 birth rates were measured again in 2012 and it was identified that birth rates had dropped from 729, 674 births to 698, 512 in 2013, which was a decrease of 4.3%.…

    • 2349 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Birth, death, migration, community interactions, and abiotic factors can influence the size of a population. Changes to ecosystems, due to season, climate, and successions, can also impact population growth and decline. The effects of all of these components combine to determine the carrying capacity of a population within a particular ecosystem.…

    • 393 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Unit 19 P4

    • 408 Words
    • 2 Pages

    3. The census: An obligatory and point by point court of the populace in the UK held like clockwork…

    • 408 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Demography is the systematic analysis of population and population dynamics including mortality. This lab examines the effects of different time periods and their individual variables on the sizes and mortality rates of populations.…

    • 1051 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Toronto CMA has experienced a rapid growth in population during the past decades. The question is: will current ministry policies on planning cities suffice to keep the current standards of living if the growth in population continues with the same rate?…

    • 981 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Birth & Death Rates--The population moves towards stability through a decline in the birth rate.…

    • 366 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Created in 1979 by David Reiss, Reiss is has developed into a powerful brand offering stylish clothes at affordable prices. 2006 proved to be a successful year for the organization, where it achieved £6.8 million in operating profit and sales of £44.5 million. Currently, it has 39 stores worldwide and is expanding rapidly. The following 3 year strategic marketing plan will demonstrate the steps Reiss need to take in order to become a dominant force in the UK and a strong international brand.…

    • 4685 Words
    • 19 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Examine the reasons for changes in birth rates and family size since 1990 (24 marks)…

    • 548 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oman's Population Change

    • 617 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In 1985, the population pyramid shows that there is an increase on the male side between the ages 20-49. This shows that Oman have economically improved as a country which as a result has allowed people to migrate from abroad to work in the country most commonly people from India, Pakistan and the other eastern neighbors of the Sultanate of Oman. The birth rates of the country still remain high as there are probably still more children needed for education. We also can see that the total population is doubled compared to 1970 where it was 729,000 Omani people. This is due to the improvement in medical care and the low number of deathrate.…

    • 617 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    barangay info

    • 661 Words
    • 3 Pages

    According to Elizabeth Thomson (February, 2007), demography is a central component of societal contents and social change. It is a study of human populations, composition, size of population and distribution across place and the process through which population change. In terms of basic demographic feature a population’s composition may be describes as age, gender, family, and household status. The distribution of population may understand at multiple levels such as a local, regional, national, global, and with different types of boundaries, political, economic and geographic. Elizabeth Thomson also stated that demography is a tool in dealing with social and economic problems. And identifying national solutions demographers are engaged in social planning, market research (insurance forecasting labor) economic development and so on. They work for private firms and public agencies at local, regional, national and international levels. The study describes the current population density and rate of growth, the age distribution of the population, and average size of households in the local Market Area (Lollymish, 2005).…

    • 661 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Population growth is the increase in the number of people who live in a specific area. Population growth has a huge impact of economies, education, etc., therefore the levels of population growth is a huge concern around the world.…

    • 454 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Population growth is the change in population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals in a population using "per unit time" for measurement (Wikipedia.com). A population can grow in an exponential or logistic growth pattern. Exponential population growth is the geometric increase of a population as it grows in an ideal, unlimited environment. For a continuously reproducing population, exponential growth is an excellent first-approximation of population growth. When resources are not limiting, and interspecific competition is at a minimum, many populations of organisms grow exponentially. This generally occurs when populations are at densities far below their environmental carrying capacity, which is the maximum number of individuals a given environment can sustain (IUC. edu). The outcome of n exponential growth can be determined by the intrinsic rate of increase which is the difference between the birth rate and death rate. If the rate is greater than zero, the population increases exponentially. If it is less than zero, the population exponentially decreases, and if it is equal to zero, the population remains constant.…

    • 1032 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    In Sociology there are numerous theories that we use to explain, analyze and define populations, one of these theories being the Demographic Transition Theory, developed primarily by Warren Thompson of Sweden. This theory was initially used to trace the transition of European society’s population from primitive communism to nineteenth century capitalism it dealt with demographic and social change throughout the European historical landscape. According to Jackson and Hudman (1986) the rate of population growth in some countries, particularly industrialized ones, followed a pattern of increase and then decline. The experience of rapid population growth rates is referred to as demographic transition. The demographic transition theory consists of four stages: Stage one the High Fluctuating where the birth and death rate are high, Stage two the Early Expanding period of industrialization where birth rate remains the same but death rates fall dramatically, Stage three the Late Expanding cultural and economic factors influence population change and Stage four the Low Fluctuating both birth and death rate are low negative population growth occurs. These stages can be applied to many European and industrialized societies for example Great Britain and France.…

    • 1267 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays