1. Understanding Population Pyramids
Learning Goal 3 – Analyze how and why humans have used technologies to modify the environment and how humans have found diverse uses for various physical features. (TEKS/SE’s 19A,19B)

2. Population Pyramids

3. World Geography Population
Earth’s Population is
7 BILLION and growing
Population growth
Earth’s population grew very slowly for thousands of years which means that, the
Birth Rate and Death Rate were almost equal.
llhammon Fall 2010

4. Earth’s Population
In the 19th century population began to rise because: BR was higher than DR
Better agriculture practices  more food
Industrial Revolution  higher standard of living

5. Earth’s Population (con’t)
Population growth rates are tied to a country’s level of industrialization.
More industrialized  slow population growth
Less industrialized  high growth
Demographers use graphs called population pyramids to forecast population growth.
Earth’s Population (con’t)

6. Population Pyramids
We use population pyramids to analyze growth (or decline) of fertility, mortality, and migration

7. Population in age bands This can be a percentage or a #
Population Pyramids
“The Oldies”
Population in age bands
Economically Active
The Kiddos
This can be a percentage or a #

8. Population Pyramids The cup The tree The box
There are three basic shapes:
The cup
The tree
The box

9. Less Developed Country
Characteristics:
High BR/ falling DR
Rapid population growth
Short life expectancy
The tree
Impacts:
Pop. mostly kids  Gov’t resources go to child care/benefits
Low quality of life
High TFR & infant mortality
Rapidly growing pop.  Low resources
(country may exceed carrying capacity!)
Less Developed Country
Examples:
Angola
Bangladesh

10. More developed country; slow growth
Characteristics:
Low BR/DR
Slow population growth
Long life expectancy
The box
More developed country; slow growth
Impacts:
Most preferable pyramid.
Slow pop. growth provides workforce that can support elderly population.
Low TFR (~2.1), infant mortality
Examples:
Norway
USA

11. More developed country; negative growth
Characteristics:
Lower BR/Low DR
Negative population growth
Long life expectancy
The cup
More developed country; negative growth
Impacts:
Most of pop. are old Gov’t places more resources in retirement benefits
Less people of working age smaller workforce and can’t support big elderly population
Lower TFR (<2.1), low infant mortality
Examples:
Italy
Germany

12. What category is this pyramid?
Sweden
The box!

13. What category is this pyramid?
The cup!

14. What category is this pyramid?
The xmas tree!

15. Application
You and your partner will receive a set of blank population pyramids to analyze.
Color each gender a different color.
Write what pyramid each country has and the issues that country is facing.
Equation for the blank boxes:
Age group number divided by the total population times 100
(Little number divided by the big number times 100)
Example: Look at France, males ages 0-4.
2080 ÷ 64,059 = x 100= 3.2%