Population Density Distribution and Demographic

Demography

The study of human populations

Population Density

The number of people per unit of area

Population Disturbation

The pattern of where people live

Site factors

Physical geography that makes people live in an area because it's good, or they do not want to live there because it's bad.

Level of development

Areas with higher levels of economic development (economic activity based in services rather than natural resource extraction or manufacturing) can attract larger populations.

Infrastructure

Areas with better or more accessible infrastructure (transportation, energy, water, sanitation) can attract larger populations.

Employment opportunities

Areas with more employment opportunities attract more people. Areas that have a higher concentration of industry attract more people.

Favorable salaries and taxation

Areas with favorable salaries and taxation can attract more people.

Availability of natural resources

Areas with a greater availability of natural resources can attract more people to an area.

Crime rate and safety

Areas that are safer (less crime, corruption, natural disasters, etc.) can attract larger populations.

Presence of religious sites

Areas near important sacred sites (ex. Jerusalem for Christians/Jews/Muslims, Varanasi for Hindus, etc.) can be more densely populated.

Persecution

Areas where people have more rights and freedoms can attract more people than places where there is a higher degree of injustice and persecution.

Culture and history

Areas that have greater cultural or historical significance can attract larger populations.

Public services

Places with better public services (education, healthcare, etc.) can attract larger populations.

War and conflict

Areas that experience war or large-scale conflict and violence tend to have less population density.

Government Installations

The presence of things such as military bases, government offices, or the seat of government can lead to more population density in an area.

Mountainous areas

Tend to have less dense populations than flat areas with less dense vegetation.

Access to water

Places with access to freshwater for drinking or water for navigation tend to have denser populations.

Extreme climates

Areas with extreme (hot or cold) climates tend to have less dense populations than those with more moderate climate conditions.

Fertile land

Areas with fertile land suitable for growing crops tend to have higher population densities than areas with arid or infertile land.

Low population density

Areas with low population density have a smaller pool of workers to draw from and thus tend to have less production capabilities and overall economic power.

Vulnerability to economic decline

Areas with low population density are more vulnerable to economic decline if their populations are not replaced as workers age and retire.

Uneven development

If one area of a country has a higher population density than others, more government funds will be allocated there, leading to more development there and less development elsewhere.

Culture clash

Areas with denser populations tend to be more diverse, which can lead to ethnic or culture clash in some instances.

Housing availability

Areas with higher population density tend to have challenges when it comes to housing that population (availability, affordability).

Public transportation

Areas with higher population densities can have more extensive public transportation systems but high population density also places more strain on those systems.

Provision of services

It can be more difficult for governments to provide their citizens with public services (education, medical care) in places with denser populations.

Need for new laws

There may be a need for the creation of new laws (land ownership, resource allocation, environmental protections, etc.) in areas with high population density.

Political movements

Areas with high population densities can be more diverse, leading to new ways of thinking and new political movements.

Carrying capacity

The largest number of people that the environment of a particular area can support. If carrying capacity is exceeded, natural resources will be depleted.

Loss of habitats

To meet the needs of an area with high population density, physical expansion is often needed and leads to the destruction of natural habitats and a loss of biodiversity.

Pollution

Areas that have higher population density have higher rates of pollution (more emissions from transportation and manufacturing, deforestation for expansion, etc.).

Demographers

People who study the demographics of human population.

Demographics

Statistical data relating to the population and groups within it.

Pull factors

Good opportunities that pull people into their area.

Push factors

Bad things that drive people away from their region (where they live) to go somewhere else.

Population Pyramids

An age-x composition graph that can provide information on birth rates, death rates, life expectancy, economic development, migration, and past events like natural disasters, wars, epidemics, etc.

Reading a population pyramid

Vertical axis shows age groups (Cohorts) in five year intervals from 0-100.

Pre-reproductive

Age group 0-14.

Reproductive

Age group 15-44.

Post-reproductive

Age group 45+.

A growing population

Looks like a pyramid with the base being the largest part and the shape tapering off as you approach the middle ages and older cohorts.

A stable population

Has a squared base that indicates stagnant or near-stagnant growth, then tapers off more gradually as you approach the older cohorts.

A declining population

The base is smaller than the middle or upper sections and the shape looks almost like it could topple over.

Population pyramid irregularities

Irregularities convey information about changes in the population.

Birth Deficit

A slowdown of births, often occurring during times of conflict, economic downturn, or cultural shifts.

Baby Boom

A spike in birth rates, typically occurring after a period of war.

Baby Bust

The end of a baby boom, lasting until boomers reach childbearing age.

Echo

A spike in birth rates once baby boomers have reached childbearing age.

Pronatalist Policies

Programs aimed to increase the fertility rate of a place.

Antinatalist Policies

Programs aimed to decrease the fertility rate of a place.

Examples of Pronatalist Policies

Banning contraception, discouraging family planning oversight/classes, tax breaks/cash incentives for having children, maternity leave, discouraging abortion, government-sponsored dating agencies, ad campaigns to promote bigger families, subsidized child care.

Case Study: Pronatalist Policies in France

Introduced to Code de la Famille in 1939, incentives for mothers who stayed home to raise children (pensions, tax breaks, etc.), cash incentives for having 3+ children, censored maternity leave (20-40 weeks), tax breaks for families, subsidized child care, subsidized family holidays, banned sale of contraceptives (overturned 1967).

Examples of Antinatalist Policies

Encouraging later marriage, encouraging educational/career goals for women, access to free/cheap contraception, availability or encouragement of abortion, family planning classes/oversight bodies, ad campaigns to promote smaller families, cash/social incentives for not having children, forced sterilization programs.

Case Study: China's One Child Policy

1979-2015 - Parents could sign a one-child contract with the government and be entitled to rewards such as free medical care, free daycare & school, guarantee of job for child, raises for parents & bigger pensions, better housing, extra maternity leave. If the contract was broken, families were punished.

Extreme effects of China's One Child Policy

Gender imbalance due to preference for sons, abandonment/abortion of female children at startling rates, declining population (worked too well), concerns about how to support aging workers.

China's three child policy

Announced in May 2021, it allows families to have three children.