POPULATION EXAM QUESTIONS
. Explain why birth rates are decreasing in many countries.
6 – Greater use of birth control
– Reduced infant/child mortality
– Greater education especially of females
– More working females with career aspirations
– Increased cost of bringing up children
– More materialistic culture
– Less need for child labour or to support elderly
– Ageing population
– Government policy
5
. Why birth rates may vary with the income of the parents.
– low income so high birth rate as children economic asset (can work and can support
parents in old age), offset high infant mortality, can’t afford contraception – very much
LICs (reverse also true in that wealthy may have fewer)
– high incomes so high birth rate as can afford children (they are expensive to bring up), can
afford mother not to work, demonstrates wealth (status) – very much HICs (reverse also
4
true although poor more likely to have more children)
. Describe the meaning of the terms natural increase.
– Natural increase is the difference between the birth rate and the death rate. Usually
expressed as a %. If the birth rate is higher than the death rate the population will
3
increase.
. Give the meaning of the term overpopulation.
– As a population rises above the optimum population or exceeds the carrying capacity of
that area (1); increases pressure on resources to a point where they can no longer support
or sustain the population (1); reduces living standards and leads to environmental
degradation (1).
2
. With the aid of examples, explain how overpopulation can occur.
– Overpopulation of an area is when there are too many people for the amount of food,
materials, and space available there. Carrying capacity is exceeded.
– The explanation may look at the balance between population and resources:
+) Increased population due to high natural increase or migration
+) Increased levels of consumption by the population
+) Failure in the resource base due to a climatic or geological hazard e.g. drought
+) Exhaustion of the resource base e.g. soils become exhausted
. Explain how overpopulation may be caused by changes in natural increase.
1
,7
– Natural increase is the balance between birth rates and death rates, so explanation can be
linked to a high birth rate (up to 2 marks) or a reduction in the death rate (up to 2 marks).
High natural increase leads to increased pressure on resources (1).
. Describe consequences of overpopulation.
– starvation, hunger, disease and death
– migration to find food/movement to cities
– poverty and unemployment
– social unrest/conflict over limited food/resource supply
– increased farming - intensification or extensification
– food imports/international aid/government aid
– lack of services - water, power, education food price rises/rationing
– overcrowding; lack of housing
– pollution; pressure on environment
. Explain why having a youthful population can be a challenge for LICs/MICs.
– pressure of numbers / population pressure / overpopulation
– food demand / number of mouths to feed
– health needs of infants and children
– education needs – providing schools, teachers, etc.
– limited finances
– other government or development priorities
– dependents do not contribute to the economy or pay taxes
. Give socio-economic reasons why the proportion of the youthful population is decreasing
in many MICs.
– economic development influencing personal goals
– increased costs of raising children
– increased literacy and education of girls and women
– increased availability, accessibility and affordability of contraception
– emigration of young working age to other countries
. Explain the difficulties for a country of having a youthful population structure.
– Population will continue to grow because children may be viewed as economic assets /
population momentum
– Employment opportunities may not keep up with growth of working population
– Convincing people to have smaller families
– Generation of capital to pay for health, education and other services
– Resource prioritisation
– Unrest/discontent
. Define the term infant mortality rate (IMR).
, – The number of children who die under the age of 1 (1) per thousand live births (1) per year
(1).
. Explain why infant mortality rates (IMR) are decreasing in many MICs.
– Better pre and postnatal care – better health care
– Women have fewer children (more birth control) so can care more for those they have
– Increased education, especially of women, so knowledge of care for infants is better
– Improved sanitation and cleaner water supply
– Better diets – fewer famines
– Public health campaigns, e.g. vaccinations, mosquito nets
– Less cultural and economic pressure to have large numbers of children
. Explain two effects of high infant mortality rates.
– high birth rates/continuing high birth rates given the need to ensure the survival of some
children by compensating for infant deaths
– high fertility rate
– accept government intervention (policy or initiative) to reduce infant mortality rates, e.g.
by immunisation
– emotional/psychological impact of infant deaths on the family
. With the aid of examples, explain why infant mortality rates may decrease as a country
develops.
– Greater antenatal and postnatal care, as better health care
– Increased female education, so mothers aware of risks e.g. smoking
– Better diets – in both quantity and quality
– Better housing conditions/less overcrowding
– Better sanitation and water supply
– Increased numbers live in cities where aid and health services can better be provided
– Women have fewer children (more birth control) so easier to look after themselves and
newborns
– Women have children later in life
– Cultural shift such that female children more valued and protected
– Greater security so fewer wars, violence
. Suggest reasons for the decrease in IMR
– improved health care for infants
– maternal health improvements such as pre-conception or pre-natal education
– new-born screening programmes
– early child immunisation against diseases such as measles, polio, etc.
– protection of sleeping infants from diseases such as malaria or education about issues
related to SIDS
– improved nutrition such as vitamin supplements or measures which improve quality of
. Explain why birth rates are decreasing in many countries.
6 – Greater use of birth control
– Reduced infant/child mortality
– Greater education especially of females
– More working females with career aspirations
– Increased cost of bringing up children
– More materialistic culture
– Less need for child labour or to support elderly
– Ageing population
– Government policy
5
. Why birth rates may vary with the income of the parents.
– low income so high birth rate as children economic asset (can work and can support
parents in old age), offset high infant mortality, can’t afford contraception – very much
LICs (reverse also true in that wealthy may have fewer)
– high incomes so high birth rate as can afford children (they are expensive to bring up), can
afford mother not to work, demonstrates wealth (status) – very much HICs (reverse also
4
true although poor more likely to have more children)
. Describe the meaning of the terms natural increase.
– Natural increase is the difference between the birth rate and the death rate. Usually
expressed as a %. If the birth rate is higher than the death rate the population will
3
increase.
. Give the meaning of the term overpopulation.
– As a population rises above the optimum population or exceeds the carrying capacity of
that area (1); increases pressure on resources to a point where they can no longer support
or sustain the population (1); reduces living standards and leads to environmental
degradation (1).
2
. With the aid of examples, explain how overpopulation can occur.
– Overpopulation of an area is when there are too many people for the amount of food,
materials, and space available there. Carrying capacity is exceeded.
– The explanation may look at the balance between population and resources:
+) Increased population due to high natural increase or migration
+) Increased levels of consumption by the population
+) Failure in the resource base due to a climatic or geological hazard e.g. drought
+) Exhaustion of the resource base e.g. soils become exhausted
. Explain how overpopulation may be caused by changes in natural increase.
1
,7
– Natural increase is the balance between birth rates and death rates, so explanation can be
linked to a high birth rate (up to 2 marks) or a reduction in the death rate (up to 2 marks).
High natural increase leads to increased pressure on resources (1).
. Describe consequences of overpopulation.
– starvation, hunger, disease and death
– migration to find food/movement to cities
– poverty and unemployment
– social unrest/conflict over limited food/resource supply
– increased farming - intensification or extensification
– food imports/international aid/government aid
– lack of services - water, power, education food price rises/rationing
– overcrowding; lack of housing
– pollution; pressure on environment
. Explain why having a youthful population can be a challenge for LICs/MICs.
– pressure of numbers / population pressure / overpopulation
– food demand / number of mouths to feed
– health needs of infants and children
– education needs – providing schools, teachers, etc.
– limited finances
– other government or development priorities
– dependents do not contribute to the economy or pay taxes
. Give socio-economic reasons why the proportion of the youthful population is decreasing
in many MICs.
– economic development influencing personal goals
– increased costs of raising children
– increased literacy and education of girls and women
– increased availability, accessibility and affordability of contraception
– emigration of young working age to other countries
. Explain the difficulties for a country of having a youthful population structure.
– Population will continue to grow because children may be viewed as economic assets /
population momentum
– Employment opportunities may not keep up with growth of working population
– Convincing people to have smaller families
– Generation of capital to pay for health, education and other services
– Resource prioritisation
– Unrest/discontent
. Define the term infant mortality rate (IMR).
, – The number of children who die under the age of 1 (1) per thousand live births (1) per year
(1).
. Explain why infant mortality rates (IMR) are decreasing in many MICs.
– Better pre and postnatal care – better health care
– Women have fewer children (more birth control) so can care more for those they have
– Increased education, especially of women, so knowledge of care for infants is better
– Improved sanitation and cleaner water supply
– Better diets – fewer famines
– Public health campaigns, e.g. vaccinations, mosquito nets
– Less cultural and economic pressure to have large numbers of children
. Explain two effects of high infant mortality rates.
– high birth rates/continuing high birth rates given the need to ensure the survival of some
children by compensating for infant deaths
– high fertility rate
– accept government intervention (policy or initiative) to reduce infant mortality rates, e.g.
by immunisation
– emotional/psychological impact of infant deaths on the family
. With the aid of examples, explain why infant mortality rates may decrease as a country
develops.
– Greater antenatal and postnatal care, as better health care
– Increased female education, so mothers aware of risks e.g. smoking
– Better diets – in both quantity and quality
– Better housing conditions/less overcrowding
– Better sanitation and water supply
– Increased numbers live in cities where aid and health services can better be provided
– Women have fewer children (more birth control) so easier to look after themselves and
newborns
– Women have children later in life
– Cultural shift such that female children more valued and protected
– Greater security so fewer wars, violence
. Suggest reasons for the decrease in IMR
– improved health care for infants
– maternal health improvements such as pre-conception or pre-natal education
– new-born screening programmes
– early child immunisation against diseases such as measles, polio, etc.
– protection of sleeping infants from diseases such as malaria or education about issues
related to SIDS
– improved nutrition such as vitamin supplements or measures which improve quality of
