Population Statistics

Incomplete population data table

Explain possible reasons for the differences between the population data for Pakistan (infant mortality, total rate of fertility, life expectancy, and natural increase rate) and the same data for Spain. By looking at the GDP per capita for both countries, we can conclude that Spain is more economically developed than Pakistan. Being economically developed provides more and diverse job opportunities and access to good healthcare and contraception. This increases the female literacy rate and life expectancy and decreases the infant mortality and total fertility rate. Pakistan is economically under- developed, so job opportunities, good healthcare, and contraception are not available to all its citizens. This decreases the female literacy rate and life expectancy and increases the infant mortality and total fertility rate. Pakistani women try to counteract the high infant mortality rate by having more children, so the total fertility rate is higher than Spain’s. On its own, Spain’s high GDP per capita would allow families to support more children. However, because Spain also has a high female literacy rate, the total fertility rate drops. So, Spain has a lower infant mortality, total fertility, and natural increase rate, and a higher life expectancy and female literacy rate than Pakistan.

Population data table with predictions

Choose any two of the nations shown in the table and suggest public policies that would affect the data you predicted, giving reasons for your suggestions. One public policy that would affect Australia’s population data is the conversion to Islam. If all Australians converted, then women would not be able to work outside of the home, potentially dropping the female literacy rate and GDP per capita. The changes mentioned above would create a domino effect, resulting in an increased total fertility, natural increase, and infant mortality rate. The life expectancy might drop as well. Since the country is economically developed and the competition for jobs decreases with the lack of women working, Australia’s population data wouldn’t look exactly like Pakistan’s, but more like Indonesia’s or Kazakhstan’s (both of which are predominantly Muslim). If Spain set up public policies that financially reward large families, then more than likely Spain’s natural increase and total fertility rate would increase. Female literacy could possibly drop along with the GDP per capita since women would be getting money for just having children. The gender empowerment would be nonexistent and the possibility of most women (if not all) dropping out of the workforce would be high.

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