Population

Population is the total number of people living in a country at a particular

time. It shows how people are spread within a geographical area. The size
of the population will be determined by the amount of labour that has
been put in place. Population includes men, women, children, the old,
and the disabled.

In any productive economy the distribution of resources, availability of

labour supply, and planning are very important.

Population Size and Growth: This is the total amount of people large or
small living in a particular place. The determination of population size
and growth are birth rate, death rate, and migration.

Population growth is the percentage increase in a population at a given

period of time. It is the difference between birth rate and death rate plus
immigration minus emigration.

Population growth (PGR) = Birth rate – Death rate + Immigration –

Emigration

To calculate Percentage increase in population

% Increase in population
New population – Old population 1000
= ×
Old population 1

Natural growth rate: This the different between Birth rate and Death rate

Natural growth rate (NGR) = Birth rate – Death rate.

Factors Affecting Population Growth

1. Increase in birth rate: If the rate of women giving birth to children

increases, the tendency is that, everything being equal, the
population of that country will increase as well
2. Decrease in death rate: This is one of the factors that affect the
increase in population. If the death rate decreases, there is the
possibility of an increase in population.
3. Medical improvement: This is a strong factor that contributes
immensely to population growth. This is because it contributes to an
increase in the birth rate and a decrease in the death rate.
4. Immigration: This is the system whereby people move from one
country to another to settle as residents, these people are called
immigrants. Immigrants contribute immensely to an increase in the
population of the country they settle in.
5. People’s attitude to family size: This Contributes immensely to an
increase in population.
6. Early marriage: The earlier people marry the more they give birth to
children which will lead to an increase in population.

Advantages of Large or Increased Population

1. Increase in the working population: These are the potential

contributors to the economic development of the country. The more
they are, the better the country.
2. Expansion of the local market: The expansion of the local market,
will lead to an increase in demand for goods and services in the
country. Such an increase will lead to an increase in production,
leading to economic development.
3. Attraction of investors: Both local and foreign investors are
attracted to countries with a large population.
4. Diversity of skills and talents: As the population of a country
continues to increase so will the number of skilled and talented
people which will benefit the country.
 5. Attraction of foreign aid: The population of a country determines the
extent of foreign aid it will receive.

Determinants of Population

Birth Rate:

This is the total number of birth per thousand people at a period of time in
a year. It is also called the fertility period. A rise in population is a result of
an increase in the birth rate while a fall in the birth rate will lead to a
decrease in population. The birth rate is the rate at which new babies are
born in a country.
NumberofBirths 1000
Birth Rate = ×
Total population / Population size 1

Factors Affecting/Influencing Birth Rate

1. Age rate: The age bracket at a period of time influences the birth rate. If
there is an increase in the adults in a population there will be an increase
in the birth rate and vice versa

2. Policy of the government: When the government puts in place a

preventive measure to control the birth rate it will affect the population
e.g Family planning

3. Legalisation of abortion in a country will reduce the birth rate .

4. The sex composition in a country will either increase or decrease the

birth rate

5. Availability of medical facilities will increase the birth rate while

absence will decrease it.

6. Early marriage increases the rate of fertility while late marriage is

otherwise.
7. Religion and political stability affect the rate of fertility.

Death Rate

This is the total number of deaths per thousand people at a period of

time in a year. It is also referred to as the Mortality rate. This is the rate at
which death occurs in a country.

An increase in the death rate will lead to a decrease in the total

population of people at a period of time and vice versa.
NumberofDeaths 1000
Death Rate = = ×
Total population / Population size 1

Factors Influencing/Affecting Death Rate

1. Availability of medical facilities for people reduces the death rate and
vice versa

2. Infant mortality affects the population negatively

3. Proper hygiene and environmental sanitation reduces the rate of death

4. Increase in per capital income as a result of high standard of living

reduces death rate

5. Political instability, war, disaster, violence increases the rate of death

6. High rate of ageing population will lead to increase in death rate

 Migration

This is the movement of people in and out of a country over a period of

time, it is the movement of people from one place to another. Migration is
sub-divided into two; immigration and emigration.

Immigration: This is the movement of people (non-indigenes) into

a country. The people that move (come to a country from another
country) to a country are called immigrants.

Emigration: This is a process whereby people go out of a country. The

movement of people into other countries (Outwards movement) to settle
either permanently or on a temporary basis. The people that move out to
other countries are called emigrates.

Net Migration: This is the difference between immigration and emigration

Calculation of population size:

Population size could be calculated as follows:

Current year population figure = previous year pop figure + Birth rate –
death rate + immigration – emigration.

Factors that cause migration

1. Better Education in developed countries

2. The desire to have knowledge and more opportunities

3. Proper working condition and welfare

4. The climatic condition of an area may attract people to move

5. Economic opportunities and stability

6. Better Healthcare can make people migrate to another country

How can we Control Migration?

1. The government should adopt a policy that will favour the people if we
have under population in the country

2. Discourage work permit in overpopulated countries

3. More employment opportunities for people will discourage people from

leaving their home country for a foreign land.

4. Provide a conducive environment for people

5. The government should ensure peace and harmony in the country.

6. By the provision of social amenities

Ageing or Declining Population

Ageing distribution is the grouping of people into different categories. An

ageing population is a country with an increasing number of old people
and is also known as a declining population. Declining population is a
situation where the population of a country continues to fall or decrease
instead of increase. The dependent population are the people who are
not working in a country, they are infants/old people in a country (0-18,
66years and above).

The dependent ratio is the total number of people who are not working to
the number of people that are working.
Factors Responsible for Ageing or Declining Population

1. Changes in the death rate

2. Changes in the birth rate
3. Lack of medical facilities
4. Government policies e.g. excessive family planning
5. War
6. Major diseases like Ebola
7. Natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes

Advantages of Decreasing or Declining Population

1. Decrease in government expenditure

2. Increase in government savings
3. Reduction in congestion
4. Fall in house rent
5. Increase in government investment

Disadvantages of Decreasing or Declining Population

1. Contraction of the local market – demand falls

2. Decrease in the labour force
3. Decrease in production – it happens since demand has fallen
4. It will cause cyclical unemployment; as a result of low production
5. High dependency ratio
6. Reduction in the number of taxpayers
Malthusian Population Theory

The Malthusian population theory is the outcome of an essay titled “An

essay on the principle of population” written in 1798 by Reverend Thomas
Robert Malthus, an Anglican clergyman, and a well-known political
economist. The essay he wrote was influenced greatly by the rate at
which the population in Europe at that time was growing at a very fast
rate.

The Main Features of Malthusian Theory

The main views or features of Malthusian theory about population are:

1. That population was growing in a geometric progression such as 2,

4, 8, 16, 32, etc. while food production or supply was growing at an
arithmetic progression such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. It means that the
population doubles every 25 years.
2. That there is a tendency for the population to grow beyond the food
available to them
3. Population always increases when the means of subsistence
increase, unless prevented by some powerful checks.
4. That there are two types of checks which can keep the population on
a level with the means of subsistence. They are negative and
positive checks.
5. That the checks can be war, disease, epidemics, and famine.
6. That population is essentially limited by the means of subsistence

In other words, the size of the population is determined by the availability

of food. The greater the food production, the greater the size of the
population which can be sustained. The check of deaths caused by want
of food and poverty would limit the maximum possible population.
Demerit/Events that have Proved Malthusian Theory Wrong

Developments or events that have rendered Malthusian theory wrong or

irrelevant in the present day is found in developed countries such as
England, America, and Japan, etc. These developments include:

1. Development of technical knowledge and mechanization in

agriculture: The development of advanced technology equipment
has helped to expand the sector which creates an increase in the
food supply.
2. Changes in social attitude: Changes in family size and family
planning or birth control in these countries
3. Industrial revolution: The industrial revolution especially in Europe,
also changed the idea of land as a fixed factor of production
4. Medical improvement: Medical improvement by way of efficient
health care services also enables people to live longer, therefore
proving the Malthus theory wrong.
5. Opening of new colonies: The opening of new colonies like America,
Canada, Australia etc. provide the necessary land for human
habitation.
6. Interdependency of nations: The interdependency of nations for
goods and services available in large quantities as a result of
international trade.
7. Movement of people overtime: People moving from one country to
another.
8. Assumption is based on Britain and not the entire world
Advantages/Development or Events That Have Proved Malthusian
Theory Right

Developments or events that proved Malthusian theory right or valid are

found in developing countries in Asia, Africa and even in the present-day
situation in Nigeria. The events are as follows:

1. Negative attitude: Negative attitudes like the practice of polygamy,

giving birth to many children, etc. have made the population of
many developing countries including Nigeria to increase on a daily
basis
2. High population and low food production: The population of many
developing countries is growing at a geometric progression while
food production is growing at an arithmetical progression.
3. Difficulties in eradicating poverty: Poverty, which is inherent in a
given society according to Malthus, has proved extremely difficult to
be wiped out of many poor countries
4. Poor economic development: Rapid population growth militates
against rapid economic development and it grows faster than per
capita income. Per capita income is a measure of the amount of
money earned per person in a nation or geographic region. Per
capita income can be used to determine the average per-
person income for an area and to evaluate the standard of living
and quality of life of the population.
5. Fallen standards of living: The standard of living of many developing
countries has fallen as a result of an increase in population.
6. Adopting preventive measures to check such as family planning,
late marriage.
Demographic Transition Theory

The theory of demographic transition theory is the latest attempt made

to provide a historical analysis of the population problems of developing
countries. It tends to explain the reasons why all developed countries
several years ago went through three identical stages of population.

The demographic theory puts up a model which recognizes three main

stages in the process of population growth. The three stages are:

Stage I: the Pre-Industrialization Stage

The main feature of this stage is the high birth rate, high death rate, and
low population. The population at this stage is either static or increasing
or decreasing at a very low rate. The population transition remains fairly
stable

Stage II: Transition Stage

This stage is characterized by a high birth rate accompanied by a low

death rate. This stage remains relatively stable but the death rate falls
rapidly. This stage leads to a high population as a result of a number of
factors such as industrialization, urbanization, better diet, higher income,
improved medical services, etc. This stage marks the beginning of
demographic transition. Many developing countries are currently at this
stage of population growth.

Stage III: Post Transitional Stage

This stage characterized by a low birth rate as a low death rate is under
control. In other words, there is a relatively stable population with an older
or larger population. It is a feature of an advanced economy (the stage
that is associated with developed countries).