Population
Pyramids
What is a population pyramid?
A visual representation of the population of a
country.
• graphically display a population's age and
gender composition
• show numbers or proportions of males and
females in each age group
• show gains of members due to immigration and
birth, and loss of members due to emigration
and death
• reflect population growth or decline
Interpreting a
Population Pyramid
•Remember that a population pyramid
is basically a bar graph turned on its
side. Each line is showing you what
percentage of the population is a
certain age.
•Examine the title and the type of data
presented. (ex. Age breakup, numbers
listed below, male-female notation.)
•True pyramids are developing
countries. The majority of the
population is younger and not many
people live to an old age. Developed
countries are more rectangular; the
population is spread more equally
through the age groups.
How to interpret population
pyramids
There main types of
pyramids
– Rapid growth
– Slow growth
– Negative growth
Shape of rapid
growth
Shape of
Slow growth
Shape of negative
growth
Rapid growth
Rapid growth pyramids
• Have a large base to show high birth rates
• Amount of people decreases as the ages
goes up indicating a lower standard of
living
• Associated with developing countries like
Brazil, Uganda, China
Slow Growth
Slow growth pyramids
• Take on a more rectangular shape
• Indicates population is remaining fairly
steady
• Birth rates and death rates are similar
• Associated with developed countries like
the UK, Germany, Canada
Negative growth
Negative growth pyramids
• Looks like a reverse pyramid
• Indicates the population of the country is
decreasing
• Death rates are higher than birth rates
• Associated with developed countries like
Austria, Japan, Italy
When can population pyramids
be used in World History?
TEKS: WH 18C Identify examples of
political, economic, and social
oppression and violations of human
rights throughout history, including
slavery, the holocaust, other examples
of genocide, and politically motivated
mass murders in Cambodia, China,
and the Soviet Union
Essential Questions
• Using demographic data, distinguish
between developed and developing
nations in the contemporary world
Soviet Union
http://worldatlas.com/webimag
e/countrys/europe/eur.htm
http://www.gendercide.org/case_stalin.html
Enemies of the State
WWI- 1914-1918
1,700,000 military dead
December 1934
Stalin began a period of
purging and terror that
lasted until 1939 and was
marked by the execution
of virtually the entire
political and military elite.
http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/riley/787/Soviet/Stalin/Stalin.html
Soviet Union
• How would you
determine how World
War I impacted the
male population?
• What age group was
impacted by Stalin’s
purges?
Cambodia
• April 17th, 1975 the
Khmer Rouge, a
communist guerrilla group
led by Pol Pot, took
power in Phnom Penh,
the capital of Cambodia.
During their rule, it is
estimated that 2 million
Cambodians died by
starvation, torture or
execution.
Cambodia
How did the rule of
the Khmer Rouge
impact
Cambodia’s
population?
When did this
occur?
China
The Cultural revolution
Mao formally launched the
Cultural Revolution in
August 1966.
The Cultural Revolution
ended in August 1977
http://members.fortunecity.com/stalinmao/China/Cultural/
Cultural.html
China and the Cultural Revolution
• How did the Cultural
Revolution impact
China’s population?
• What current issues
are visible in China’s
population pyramid?
Poland
During World War II
6 million Poles (about
one sixth of the
population) died,
including nearly 3
million Polish Jews
murdered in Nazi
death camps
http://www.yadvashem.org/exhibitions/albu
m_auschwitz/159-161b.html
Poland
• How is World War II
reflected in the
population pyramid of
Poland?
South Africa
South Africa
• What is happening to the population of
South Africa?
• Why is this happening?
• Can you think of any other time periods
where the population pyramid of a country
changed like this?
Fantastic web site for population
Pyramids
http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idbpyr.html