Population

Grade 9
Class Notes

01
 Population

1 Population

2 Distribution of population

3 Density of population

4 Factors Affecting Distribution of Population

5 Population change

6 Population growth

7 Population Composition

02
 1 Population

What is population?
The total number of people residing in a
country at a specified period is called its
'Population’.

2 Distribution of Population

The distribution of population refers to the pattern in which people are spread
across the world

• More than 90% of the world’s population lives on

about 30% of the land surface.

• Population distribution is uneven

Dense population Sparse population

South and Southeast Asia, Europe, High-altitude areas, deserts, high
and north-eastern regions of North mountains, and dense equatorial
America forests

Did You Know?

Population Distribution in India

INDIA
Density of Population, 2011

Did you know that India:

Pakis
tan
• Occupies 2.4% of the land
China
(Tibet)
Ne
Bhu
pa

Carries 17.5% of the world’s total

tan
l
Bangla •
population
desh
Tropic
of
BAY OF Cancer
Myanm
BENGAL ar
ARABIAN

• Ranks second in the world

SEA
Persons Per Sq. KM
Above 1201

population index
801-1200
401-800
101-400
Less than 100
Andaman
& Nicobar

Has over 121 crores of population

Lakshadwee
p
(INDIA)
Sri
Lanka OCEAN
0 20
0
4
0
0
600
km
Islands
(INDIA) •

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 3 Density of Population

85 people 100 people • Population density is the number of people

residing per square kilometre of the earth’s
surface
• As per the 2011 census, India has 382 people
1 sq km 1 sq km per sq. km.
Land A Land B

Number of people
Population density =
Land area
Unit: People per unit area

4 Factors Affecting Distribution of Population

4.1 Geographical Factors

Hilly and mountainous areas are

sparsely populated, while plains are
overpopulated

Plains are suitable for farming, setting

up of houses and industries
Topography
Places with extreme climates are
difficult to live in
Places with neither too hot nor too
cold climates are preferred
Climate

Regions with fertile soil have a dense

population while infertile areas attract
very few people

Soil
People prefer areas where
freshwater is easily accessible,
like river valleys
Water

Regions with mineral deposits attract

people as it provides more employment
opportunities
Minerals
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 4.2 Social Factors 4.3 Cultural Factors

Areas with better housing, Areas with cultural and

education, and health religious significance attract
facilities are densely people, such as Varanasi and
populated. Jerusalem.

4.2 Economic Factors

• Industrial areas attract people due to huge

employment opportunities leading to a dense
population

• Examples: Osaka in Japan, Mumbai in India

5 Population Change

• Population change refers to the change in the number of people during

a specific time.
• Factors of population change: Birth rate, death rate and migration

5.1 Birth Rate 5.2 Death Rate

Population decreases
Population increases

High death rate

High birth rate

The number of live births per 1,000 The number of deaths per 1,000
people people

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 The difference between the birth rate and the death rate of a country is
called the natural growth rate.

Population Steady

Birth Rate
Death Rate
Birth Rate Death Rate
Birth Rate Death Rate

Birth rate more than death Equal birth rate and death rate: Death rate more than birth
rate: Population increases Population stays same rate: Population decreases

5.3 Migration • Movement of people in and out of an area

• Immigration: Here, people enter into a population
• Emigration: Here, people move out of a
population

6 Population Growth

Population growth
The growth of population is the change in the number of people living in a
particular area between two points in time.

Population growth rate

Population of the present year – Population of the base year

Population of the base year

• It is studied in percent per annum.
• For example, a rate of increase of 3% per annum means that in a given year,
there was an increase of three persons for every 100 persons in the base
population.
• This is referred to as the annual growth rate.

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 Absolute change
Absolute change is the magnitude of the increase in population for a
defined period.

If the result is
• Positive → Increase in population
• Negative → Decrease in population

Population change = Population at - Population at

(absolute numbers) later date earlier date

Process of population growth and change

Birth rate: Number of live births per 1,000 people in a year.
Death rate: Number of deaths per 1,000 people in a year.
Migration: It is the movement of people across regions and territories.

Did You Know?

In India, migrants constitute about 37% of

the population. Of this, 48% are females,
whereas 52% are males.

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 Push and pull factors are those reasons that forcefully push someone
into migration or attract them to a new place.

Push factor

• These are the factors that force people to move.

• These are the negative factors associated with the current place/nation.
• Factors: Worsening climate, unstable government

Worsening Unstable Lack of Job

climate governments opportunities

Pull factor

• These are the factors that attract people to move to a new place.
• These are the positive factors associated with a place or destination.
• Factors: Better job opportunities, and education facilities

Better standard of Educational Better job

life centres opportunities

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 7 Population Composition

What is population composition?

Population composition refer to characteristics such as age, sex, marital status,
caste, religion, language, education, occupation, and more
Components of population composition
The study of the composition of the population help us understand the social,
economic, and demographic structure of the population.

Population Composition

Age Literacy rate Occupation

structure Sex ratio structure

Age Structure

Below 15 years Age 15-59 years Above 59 years

• Require support in
• Economically • Less likely to be
getting food,
productive economically
clothing,
and productive and
education, and
biologically they may be retired
medical care
reproductive
• Dependant on
working age group

The age composition of a population refers to the number of people in

different age groups in a country

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Sex Composition

• Sex composition is the ratio of number

of females per 1000 males.

• According to the census of 2011, the sex ratio in India is 943 females
per 1,000 males.
• It is the highest in Kerala and the lowest in Haryana

Literacy Rate

Who is a literate person?

According to the census of 2011, a person aged 7 years and above who can
read and write with understanding in any language is treated as literate.

Male Female

82.14% 65.46%

Occupational Structure
Occupational structure refers to the distribution of the population according to the
different types of occupations.

Primary activities Secondary activities Tertiary activities

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National Population Policy 2000
The Government of India initiated a comprehensive family planning
programme in 1952.

Free and compulsory Reducing infant Universal

school education up to 14 mortality rate to below immunisation
years of age 30 per 1,000 live births

Adolescent Population
• Adolescents are generally grouped in the age group of 10 to 19 years.
• It constitutes one-fifth of the total population of India.
• In India, the diet available to adolescents is inadequate in all nutrients.
• A large number of adolescent girls suffer from anaemia.
• Awareness among them can be improved through the spread of literacy and
education..

Important Questions

Question 1:List down the push and pull factors in migration

Question 2:Write a short note on population growth and absolute
change.
Question 3:How to calculate population density of a region?
Explain with an example.
Question 4:Describe how various factors affect population
distribution.
Question 5:What are the factors that influence population
change?

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