Global Demography

and Migration

Module 6
Objectives:

- Identify the reasons why people migrate.

- Differentiate pull factors to push factors.
 DEMOGRAPHY is a
combination of two Greek words,
‘Demos’ meaning people and
‘Graphy’ meaning science. Thus
demography is the science of
people. It is the scientific study of
human populations, primarily
with respect to their size, their
structure and their development.
 In the middle of the nineteenth
century in 1855, the word
‘Demography’ was first used by a
French writer Achille Guillard. In
1950 there were 2.5 billion people
on the planet. Now in 2019, there
are 7.7 billion. By the end of the
century the UN expects a global
population of 11.2 billion.
Population - refers to a
collection of humans. In simpler
terms is the number of people in a
city or town, region, country or
world; population is usually
determined by a process called
census (a process of collecting,
analyzing, compiling and publishing
data). World Population
Milestones
10 Billion (2055) - The United Nations projects world
population to reach 10 billion in the year 2056.

8 Billion (2023) - World population is expected to reach 8

billion people in 2023 according to the United Nations (in 2026
according to the U.S. Census Bureau).

7.7 Billion (2019) - The current world population is 7.7

billion as of May 2019 according to the most recent United
Nations estimates elaborated by Worldmeters. The term "World
Population" refers to the human population (the total number of
humans currently living) of the world.
7 Billion (2011) - According to the United Nations, world
population reached 7 Billion on October 31, 2011. The US Census
Bureau made a lower estimate, for which the 7 billion mark was
only reached on March 12, 2012.

6 Billion (1999) - According to the United Nations, the 6 billion

figure was reached on October 12, 1999 (celebrated as the Day of 6
Billion). According to the U.S. Census Bureau instead, the six
billion milestone was reached on July 22, 1999, at about 3:49 AM
GMT. Yet, according to the U.S. Census, the date and time of when
6 billion was reached will probably change because the already
uncertain estimates are constantly being updated.
Demographic Transition is a singular
historical period during which mortality and fertility
rates decline from high to low levels in a particular
country or region. The broad outlines of the transition
are similar in countries around the world, but the pace
and timing of the transition have varied considerably.
Populations can change through three processes:

a. Fertility involves the number of children that women have. As of

2018, the vast majority of the countries in the world with the highest
fertility rates are in Africa, with Niger topping the list at 7.153
children per woman, followed by Somalia at 6.123 children per
woman.

 The Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali and Chad follow at

5.963, 5.922 and 5.797 children per woman, respectively. The North
African country of Tunisia has the lowest fertility rate on the
continent at 2.147 children per woman – a figure that puts it
roughly in the middle of the two hundred countries listed.
 The Southeast Asian island nation of Timor-Leste
also makes it into the top ten, with a fertility rate of
5.337 children per woman, while other island nations,
such as Sao Tome and Principe (4.361 children per
woman) and the Solomon Islands (3.77 children per
woman) are also within the top fifty countries with
the highest fertility rates. In Europe, Ireland and
France have the highest fertility rates (at 1.98 and
1.973 children per woman), while the United States
averages 1.886 children per woman.
 Two of the most densely populated countries in the world – China
and India – have fertility rates on the lower end of the scale. At
2.303 children per woman, India ranks at number 94 on the list,
while China is much lower at 1.635 children per woman.
However, both of these figures are likely to be affected by
government policies and cultural expectations around reproduction
in these countries. Taiwan has the lowest fertility rate in the world
at 1.218 children per woman, closely followed by Moldova and
Portugal, where there are, on average, 1.23 and 1.241 children per
woman.
b. Mortality is the
study of the causes,
consequences, and
measurement of processes
affecting death to members
of the population.
c. Migration refers to the
movement of a person or a group of
persons, either across an international
border, or within a State. It is a
population movement, encompassing any
kind of movement of people, whatever its
length, composition and causes; it
includes migration of refugees, displaced
persons, economic migrants, and persons
moving for other purposes, including
family reunification.
Why do people migrate?
People migrate for many different reasons. These reasons
can be classified as economic, social, political or environmental:

a. Economic migration -
moving to find work or
follow a particular career
path.
b. Social migration
- moving somewhere for
a better quality of life or
to be closer to family or
friends.
c. Political migration
- moving to escape
political persecution or
war.
d. Environmental-
causes of migration
include natural
disasters such as
flooding.
Some people choose to migrate, e.g
someone who moves to another country
to enhance their career opportunities.
Some people are forced to migrate, eg
someone who moves due to war or
famine.
Different criterion of Migrants:
1.Temporary labor migrants
- They are popularly known as
overseas contract workers who
migrate for a limited period of
time in order to work and send
remittances to their families left
at home.
2. Highly skilled and
business migrants
- They are the people with
special skills and
qualification who seek
employment through
international labor markets
for scarce skills.
3. Irregular Migrants
(also known as undocumented
or illegal migrants) people
who enter in the country,
usually search for
employment, without
necessary documents and
permits.
4. Refugee is someone who
has left their home and does
not have a new home to go
to. Often refugees do not
carry many possessions with
them and do not have a clear
idea of where they may
finally settle.
5. Asylum-seekers
People who move
across the borders in
search of protection.
6. Forced Migration
This includes not only
refugees and asylum
seekers but also people
forced to move by
environmental catastrophes
and developmental
projects.
7. Family members
(also known as family
reunion or family
reunification migrants)
Migration to join people who
have already entered an
immigration country under
one of the categories.
8. Return Migrants
People who return to
their countries of
origin after a period in
another country.
 Push and pull factors
Push factors are the reasons why people leave an area.
They include:

• lack of services
• drought
• lack of safety
• poverty
• high crime
• crop failure
• war
Pull factors are the reasons why people move to a particular
area. They include:
1. higher employment
2. more wealth
3. better services
4. good climate
5. safer, less crime
6. political stability
7. more fertile land
8. lower risk from natural hazards
 Migration usually happens as a result of a combination of these
push and pull factors.
THANK
YOU