MODULE NO.: 2 Teacher: Adam T. M.

Subject: Geography Class: 8

International School Parent’s Signature: _______ DATE: 30/01 to 03/02-23

TOPIC: Population Change

Population Change

 There are two ways in which a population can change:

o Migration
o Natural population change

Migration

 Migration can cause the population to either increase or decrease

 This occurs as the result of emigration or immigration
 Net migration is the difference between number of people moving into a
country (immigrants) and the number of people leaving the country (emigrants)

Natural Population Change

Natural causes of population change

 There are many factors which have combined to cause the population rapid population
increase including improvements in:
o Agriculture during the agricultural revolution led to higher yields and more varied
diets
o Medicine and medical care which reduces the death rate
o Technology and transport, lead to a wealthier population which increases life
expectancy
 All these factors led to a decrease in the death rate
 The birth rate remained has remained high mainly in LEDCs due to:
o Lack of access to family planning and contraception
o An increase in women surviving childbirth
o Families continuing to have large numbers of children to look after their parents
in old age and to help support the family
o Culture of having larger families which takes many years to change
o Religious reasons
 Natural change in population is calculated by deducting the death rate from the birth rate
 The combination of a decreasing death rate and high birth rate led to rapid natural
increase and population explosion
 Population also changes as a result of migration into and out of a country/area
 Natural decrease occurs when the birth rate is lower than the death rate
Demographic Transition Model

 The demographic transition model illustrates the five generalized stages of population
change that countries pass through as they develop
 It shows how birth and death rates change over time and how this affects the overall
population as the country

The Demographic Transition Model

Stage 1

 The total population is low

 High birth rates due to lack of contraception/family planning
 High death rates due to poor healthcare, poor diet and famine
 High infant mortality which leads people to have more children so that some children
survive to adulthood

Stage 2

 The total population starts to rise rapidly

 Birth rates remain high as people continue to have large families
 Death rates decrease as a result of improved diets, better healthcare, lower infant
mortality and increased access to clean water
Stage 3

 The total population continues to increase but the rate of growth begins to slow
 Birth rate begins to fall rapidly due to increased birth control, family planning, increased
cost of raising children and low infant mortality rate
 Death rate still decreasing but at a slower rate as improvements in medicine, hygiene, diet
and water quality continue

Stage 4

 The total population is high and is increasing slowly

 Birth rate is low and fluctuating due to accessible birth control and the choice of having
fewer children as well as delaying the age women start to have children
 Death rate is low and fluctuating

Stage 5

 The total population starts to slowly decline as the death rate exceeds the birth rate
 Birth rate is low and slowly decreasing
 Death rate is low and fluctuating

Practice Question
Explain why birth rates are still high in many LEDCs

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