Cambridge IGCSE Geography
4
Population Dynamics
Population change
Population growth rates vary The world population (7.2 billion in mid-2013) is expected to increase by almost 1 billion people within the next 12 years, according to the United Nations. Most of this population growth will be in LEDCs in Africa and Asia, such as India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Nigeria. Growth is expected to be particularly fast in the least developed countries of the world. Between 2013 and Population change from 1950 to 2050
2100, the populations of 35 countries could more than triple. Among them, the populations of Burundi, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia are projected to increase at least fivefold by 2100. In contrast, the population of the MEDCs is not expected to change much and most of the net increase will be due to migration from LEDCs to MEDCs. The populations of 40 countries are expected to decrease between 2013 and 2100. The population of some countries is expected to decline by more than 15 per cent by 2050, including Bulgaria, Croatia, Cuba, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Russia and Ukraine. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and population growth 40 000
The world’s rising population, 1950−2050 Africa
Asia
Latin America
Population (billion)
10
Oceania
Projected beyond 2013
8 6 4
50 19 5 19 5 60 19 6 19 5 7 19 0 7 19 5 80 19 8 19 5 9 19 0 95 20 0 20 0 05 20 1 20 0 1 20 5 20 20 2 20 5 3 20 0 3 20 5 4 20 0 45 20 50
1 Denmark 2 France 3 New Zealand 4 Saudi Arabia 5 Botswana 6 Venezuela 7 China 8 Angola 9 Uganda 10 South Sudan
3 4
20 000 10 000 0
0
1 2
30 000
2
19
14
North America
GDP per capita (US$)
Europe
5 6 7
8 9
10
4 1 2 3 Population growth rate (%)
5
GDP per capita is a measure of wealth.
Population growth rates Population increase%: 4+ 3.5−4 3−3.5 2.5−3 2−2.5 1.5−2 1−1.5 0.5−1 0−0.5 <0
Tropic of Cancer Equator Tropic of Capricorn 0
2000
4000 km
TASK 1: Study Source a Copy out the sentences below, adding the correct names of the continents. had around a quarter of the world’s population in 1950 but by 2050 it will have less than a tenth. had more than half of the world’s population in 1950 and its share has continued to increase.
From 2013 ’s share of the world’s population is increasing faster than any other continent. b Estimate the figures (in billions) for the population in each continent in 1950 and 2050. Write a paragraph describing the main differences that are expected.