UNIVERSITY OF ESWATINI

DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS AND DEMOGRAPHY

ASSIGNMENT 1

COURSE NAME: INTRODUCTION TO DEMOGRAPHY

COURSE CODE: DEM 102

INSTRUCTIONS:

 Show all your working

 All your work should be submitted to the course lecturer via Moodle
 Late submission of work shall attract a penalty as per university policy
 Clearly write your name surname and student number

DUE DATE: 9 June 2020 at 16:00 pm

Total Marks: 60
Question 1 [35 marks]

The midyear population of Country X was 203302031 in 1970; 226,542,199 and 248,709,873
in 1990. Answer the five questions below

a. What was the annual geometric growth rate between 1970 and 1980? [3]
b. What was the annual exponential growth rate between 1980 and 1990 [3]
c. Project the population of country X to 2012 using your preferred assumption of
population growth. Indicate in one or two sentences why you have chosen this
assumption [5]
d. Assuming constant exponential growth when will the population of Country X double
itself [3]
e. What is meant by doubling time? Compute the doubling time for a population
growing at 2.9% [4]
f. The following information is taken from the 2005 and 2006 World population Data
sheet. Population refers to the mid-year (i.e., July 1) population ‘Answer the five
questions bellow. Assume an exponential growth in all calculations.
Table 1: Population statistics from UNDP World Population Data sheets
Area Population 2005 Population Growth rate Double time
2006
India 1104 1121.8 41years

China 1304 1311.4 0.6% 116 years

Southern Africa 54.1 54 0.07%

Sub Saharan Africa 752 2.4%

World 6477 655 1.2% 58 years

a. Project the population of India in 2010 using linear , geometric and exponential methods
of population projections [6]
b. In what year will the world population reach seven billion? [4]
c. Calculate the growth rate of India [4]
d. How long will it take the population of Southern Africa to double [3]
Question 2 [25 marks]

a) Explain three advantages of demographic surveys [6]

b) Briefly explain four uses of a sample in demography. [4]

c) What are the advantages of a prospective survey over retrospective survey? [4]

d) Distinguish between a coverage and content error. [3]

e) Explain in brief the four essential features of a census [8]