Overview of Population : Part - 2

The age structure of a population refers to the number of people in different age groups infants, children, teenagers, young, adults, old people.

• Population is considered a human resource because its physical and intellectual abilities affect the development of a country.
• Population composition includes features like age structure, sex ratio, and literacy rate.
• Age structure shows the number of people in different age groups, such as children, adults, and the elderly.
• A population pyramid is a graph that shows age and gender distribution of a population.
• There are three types of population pyramids: Expansive (high birth and death rates), Constrictive (low birth rate, more old people), and Stationary (low birth and death rates with slow growth).

• Sex Ratio: It is the number of females per 1000 males in a population and shows the status of women in a country.
• Global Sex Ratio: The world average is about 990 females per 1000 males. Some European countries have very high sex ratios, while many Asian countries have low sex ratios.
• Demographic Dividend: It is the economic benefit a country gets when the working population is more than the dependent population.
• Reason for Demographic Dividend: It happens due to decline in birth and death rates, which reduces the number of young dependents.
• Economic Benefits: Higher working population increases savings, investment in education, women’s participation in jobs, and per capita income.
• Government Role: Benefits of demographic dividend depend on proper policies in education, health, employment, and economic planning.
• Ageing Population and Retirement: Many countries are increasing retirement age because life expectancy is rising and the number of elderly people is increasing.

Demographic dividend refers to the growth in an economy, which is the result of a change in the age structure of a country’s population.

\[\text{Sex~ratio}=\frac{\text{Total Female population}}{\text{Total Male population}}\times1000\]

• Literacy Rate is an important indicator of a country’s socio-economic development.
• It shows the standard of living, the status of women, and the availability of education in a country.
• In India, literacy rate means the percentage of people above 7 years who can read, write, and do basic calculations.
• Literacy rates are higher in Europe, North America, and East & South-East Asia, and lower in Africa and South Asia.
• In most regions, male literacy is higher than female literacy, except in places with full literacy.

When an individual or group of individuals moves from one place to another, from one political boundary to another, for lesser or longer duration or permanently; this movement is called migration.

• Migration is the movement of people from one place to another, across political boundaries, for a short or long duration.
• Migration can be temporary or permanent, and voluntary or involuntary.
• Migration increases the population in the recipient region and decreases the population in the donor region.
• It affects the population density, distribution, and structure of both regions.
• Migration can be classified based on region, duration, distance, and purpose.

• Internal Migration: Movement of people within the same country, such as from one state or city to another.
• External Migration: Movement of people from one country to another country.
• Short-term Migration: Temporary or seasonal movement for a limited period, mainly for work.
• Long-term Migration: Movement for a long period; people may return after many years or may settle permanently.
• Migration can also be voluntary (by choice) or involuntary (forced).

• Types of Reasons: Migration occurs due to physical, economic, social, and political reasons.
• Physical Reasons: Natural disasters like floods, droughts, and earthquakes force people to move.
• Economic Reasons: People migrate for jobs and better living standards.
• Social & Political Reasons: War, discrimination, and lack of facilities cause migration.
• Push and Pull Factors: Push factors force people to leave; pull factors attract them to a new place.