Important DEMOGRAPHIC terms
birth rate: the yearly number of births per 1,000 of the population
carrying capacity: the number of people who can be supported at a sustainable level in an
area with the resources and technology currently available
crop: the part of plants that is collected and eaten by people
death rate: the yearly number of deaths per 1,000 people
demography: The scientific study of human populations, including their sizes, compositions,
distributions, densities, growth, and other characteristics, as well as the causes and
consequences of changes in these factors.
demographic transition model: a representation of the relationship between birth rates and
death rates over a period of time based on industrialised countries between 1000 and 2000.
doubling time: The amount of time for a given population to double based on the annual
growth rate. To determine doubling time: divide the growth rate as a percentage of 70. For
example a growth rate of 3.5 represents a doubling time of 20 years (70/3.5 = 20).
emigration: the process of leaving one country to take up permanent or semi permanent
residence in another.
family planning: choices made about how many children a couple should have
fertile soil: soil that is rich in minerals and good for growing crops (plants for food)
(general or average) fertility rate: the number of live births per 1,000 women ages 15-44 or
15-49 in a given year.
finite: limited amount
growth rate: The number of people added to (or subtracted from) a population in a year due to
natural increase and net migration expressed as a percentage of the population at the
beginning of the time period.
immigration: The process of entering one country from another to take up permanent or semi
permanent residence.
infant mortality rate: The number of deaths of infants under age 1 per 1,000 live births in a
given year.
LEDC: Less Economically Developed Country
life expectancy: the average number of years someone can expect to live based on current
health trends
natural increase (or decrease): the surplus (or deficit) of births over deaths in a population in
a given time period. Measured using the following formula BR – DR/1000 x 100
Malthusian theory: as population grows, increased demand for resources causes conflict or
famine which reduces population to a level that can be sustained
MEDC: More Economically Developed Country
migration: The movement of people across a specified boundary for the purpose of
establishing a new or semi permanent residence. This is divided into international migration
(migration between countries) and internal migration (migration within a country).
population density: Population per unit of land area; for example, people per square mile or
people per square kilometer of arable land.
"Population Explosion" (or "Population Bomb"): Expressions used to describe the 20th
century worldwide trend of rapid population growth, resulting from a world birth rate much
higher than the world death rate.
Population pyramid: A bar chart, arranged vertically, that shows the distribution of a
population by age and sex.The younger ages are at the bottom, with males on the left and
females on the right.
standard of living: the kinds and amounts of goods (things) and services available to people
and how these are shared in a population (equally?, or few rich, mostly poor, etc)
sustainable: the ability of a population or system to continue into the future.
natural resources: materials or substances occurring in nature which can be exploited for
economic gain.
infrastructure: the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g. buildings,
roads, power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.