The growth of world population
\nThe opulation of an area alters as a consequence of both natural change and migration. The annual population change of an area is the cumulative chnage in the size of a population after both natural change and migration have been taken into account.
\nIn 1999, the world’s population reached 6 billion. It has grown rapidly in the last 200 years particulalry since 1950. Natural increase peaked at 2.2% globally in the 1960s. Since then, falling brith rates have reduced this increase to 1.2%. However, the global population is still expanding by 80 million every year. Estimates suggest that by 2050 the global population will be 9 billion, with zero growth occuring only towards the end of the century.
\nThe growth in the world population has not taken place evenly. The populations of some continents have grown and continue to grwo at faster rates than others, Europe, North America and Australasia have very low growth rates, In 1995, their share of the world’s population was 20%. This is expected to fall to 12% by 2050. It is estimated that Europe’s population will shrink to 90 million during this period.
\nAsia has a rapid, but declining, rate of population growth. Between 1995 and 2050, China, India and Pakistan will contribute most to world population growth. Indeed, it is estimated that by 2050 India will overtake China as the world’s most populous country. Another potential area for growth is sub-Saharan Africa, particulalry Nigeri and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
\nGraph of global population growth
\nPicture
\nCauses of population growth
\nSeveral different factors interrelate to cause the growth in the world\u2019s population:
\n \u00b7 Health \u2013the control of disease, birth control measures, infant mortality rates, diet and malnutrition, the numbers of doctors and nurses, sexual health, sanitation
\n \u00b7 Education\u2013 health education, the age at which compulsory schooling finishes, females in education, levels of tertiary education and literacy levels
\n\u00b7 Social provision \u2013 levels of care for the elderly, availability of radio and other forms of media, clean water supply
\n\u00b7 Cultural factors \u2013 religious attitudes to birth control, status gain from having children, the role of women in society, sexual morality
\n\u00b7 Political factors \u2013 taxation to support services, strength of the economy, impact of war and conflicts, access to healthcare and contraception
\n\u00b7 Environmental factors \u2013 frequency of hazards, environmental conditions that breed disease
\nOther bits and bobs
\nBirth rate, death rate and natural change<\/p>\n
Birth rate: the number of babies born per 1,000 people per year. Can be as high as 50 per 1000 per year but the availability of birth control means that such high birth rates are now rare.
\nDeath rate: the number of deaths per 1,000 people. Normally death rates lie between 5 per 1,000 per year and 20 per 1,000 per year. This can increase significantly if there is an epidemic, famine or war.<\/p>\n
Two factors affect the level of the death rate:
\n\u00b7 health care has improved in poorer countries, lowering death rate
\n\u00b7 having so many people under the age of 15 reduces the chance of death<\/p>\n
Natural change: this is the difference between birth and death rates in a country. It is a useful measure of a population’s growth or decline.
\nNatural increase: this is when the birth rate exceeds the death rate. This has been the case recently except in periods of famine, war or epidemic. Some countries have reduced their birth rates and this has led to a natural decrease where the death rate exceeds the birth rate.
\nLife expectancy: the number of years a person is expected to live, usually taken from birth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"