ZIMSEC O Level Geography Notes: Population: Population Change
- The difference between the size of the population to the end and the beginning of a period.
- This change is developmental, that is, it has stages through which a population passes
- This theory can be shown on a diagram known as the demographic transition model
- Demographic transition is the movement of a population from high to low birth and death rates
- The model has four stages or phases
- These stages represent the change in a given population from high to low birth and death rates, overtime
- The change is usually accompanied by a society’s move from a rural agrarian economy to an urban industrial economy
- The transition follows four stages:
- High fluctuating
- Early expanding
- Late expanding
- Low fluctuating
Stage 1. High fluctuating
- This stage is also known as the high stationary stage or pre-industrial stage
- It is characterized by high birth rates and high death rates
- In most cases, these are in areas with a low level of medical care or knowledge resulting in high death rates
- These will in turn result in high birth rates to make up for the dead
- This will mean that the population will grow at a very slow pace and remain relatively stable sometimes stationary (no growth)
- This is usually the case in primitive societies like the pygmies of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon and in parts of Mozambique
Stage 2. Early expanding
- This stage is also known as the transitional stage
- It is characterized by the high birth rate, a drooping death rate and a high growth rate
- The drop in the death rate means that more girls will survive and become mothers whose survival rate will be high resulting in a high growth rate
- This is mainly observed in Zimbabwe and Kenya
- The reduction in death rates is due to improved medical care and knowledge as well as a better diet
Stage 3. Late expanding
- This stage is characterized by a declining birth rate, a further declining death rate though population growth continues at a slower pace
- Birth rate drops due to modern population control measures sometimes offered free of charge (for example, family planning)
- It can also be caused by new values emerging for example need for a car and a good house thus children become too expensive to bring up
- Women go to school and work thus reducing fertility
- Therefore their status is enhance and they can choose and have control over their fertility matters
- Moreover, research and development in medicine keeps death rate falling at this stage
- Examples of countries that show this stage are Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore
Stage 4. Low fluctuating
- This stage is also known as the low stationary or post-industrial stage
- It is characterized by a sharp decline in both birth and death rate resulting in very low population growth rates
- Sometimes birth rate drops below death rate resulting in negative population growth where more people die than are born
- At this stage a country can achieve zero population growth (ZPG) or a decline
- Examples of countries that show this stage are Germany,Sweden, United Kingdom, Denmark, USA and France
To access more topics go to the O Level Geography Notes page