Population Study Notes

A collection of vocabulary terms and definitions related to population studies, demographic changes, and population dynamics.

Population

The total number of people residing in a given area.

World Population Growth

The number of people on Earth has increased from 1 billion in 1800 to 7.8 billion today.

Demographic Transition Model

A model illustrating the transition from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as a country develops.

Birth Rate

The number of live births per 1,000 people in a year.

Death Rate

The number of deaths per 1,000 people in a year.

Fertility Rate

The average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime.

Life Expectancy

The average number of years a person born today can expect to live, based on current death rates.

Population Pyramid

A diagram illustrating the age distribution of a population with age groups on the vertical axis and gender distribution on the horizontal axis.

Push Factors

Characteristics of a location that drive people to leave.

Pull Factors

Characteristics of a location that attract people to it.

Natural Increase

The difference between the birth rate and the death rate of a population.

China's Population

As of the most recent data, China is home to about 1.44 billion people.

Urbanization

The increasing number of people that live in urban areas as opposed to rural areas.

Migration

The movement of people from one place to another, which can affect population size and distribution.

Census

A systematic collection of data about a population, typically conducted every ten years.

1 billion population milestone

Reached by the world around the year 1804.

Population Density

The number of inhabitants per unit of area, typically expressed as people per square mile.

Refugees

Individuals who are forced to flee their home countries due to conflict or persecution.

Demographer

A specialist in the study of populations, including statistics on birth, death, and migration.