Population - Glossary

Key Words

Definitions

Annual Population Growth Rate

The rate at which a population is increasing owing to natural increase and migration - birth rate minus death rate plus or minus migration

Census

A questionnaire every ten years to find out the population characteristics of a country

Crude Birth Rate

The number of births per 1000 population in one year

Crude Death Rate

The number of deaths per 1000 population in one year

Demographic Transition Model

A model showing the the stages of growth of a country's population

Density

The number of people per square kilometre

Distribution

The spread of people over an area

Infant Mortality Rates

The number of deaths per 1000 children under one year old in a country per year

Life Expectancy

The average number of years a person is expected to live

Migration

The movement of people - usually from one area to another permanently

Natural Increase

The increase in a population found by the birth rate minus the death rate and normally expressed as a percentage

Population Policies

Plans and laws passed by a government to help either to increase or decrease a country's population

Population Pyramid

A graph to show the population structure or age -sex composition of a population

Population Structure

The age and sex composition of of a country, region or city

Pull Factors

Factors which pull a person to a place

Push Factors

Factors which force a person away from a place

Reguge

A person forced to move from one country to another, often as a result of war or famine