Population Increase (SQA National 5 Geography): Revision Note

Specification checklist

This page covers what you need to know from the SQA National 5 geography specification to answer questions on:

• Factors affecting birth and death rates

Global population growth

• Nearly 80 million people are added to the world's population each year

• Population growth was steady and low until 1804, when the world population reached 1 billion 

• After 1804, it took just over 100 years for the population to double to 2 billion

• The rate of increase after 1930 was more rapid and led to a population explosion

• The fastest increase in population happened during the 1980s and 1990s

• Population growth rate is the average annual change of the population size during a set period of time, usually a year  

  • The population is still increasing, but at a slower rate

  • In 1970, the growth rate was 2% 

  • In 2022, the growth rate was under 1%

• It is predicted by the UN that the population will stabilise at around 11 billion in 2100 

Factors affecting birth and death rates

What is natural increase?

• Natural change in population is calculated by subtracting the death rate from the birth rate

• The combination of a decreasing death rate and a high birth rate led to a rapid natural increase and population explosion

• A natural decrease happens when the birth rate is lower than the death rate

What is the birth rate?

• The birth rate is the number of live babies born per 1000 people

• This figure is calculated by:

  • dividing the total number of births by the total population and multiplying by 1000

• In developed countries, the birth rate tends to be low, whereas in developing countries, the birth rate tends to be high

What is the death rate?

• The death rate is the number of deaths per 1000 people

• This figure is calculated by:

  • dividing the total number of deaths by the total population and multiplying by 1000

• In developed countries, the death rate tends to be low, whereas in developing countries, the death rate tends to be high

Why do death rates change?

• Globally, there has been a decrease in death rates and an increase in average life expectancy

• This is the result of improvements in:

  • Agriculture

  • Medicine and medical care

  • Water supply and sewage disposal lead to a reduction in disease

Agriculture

• Improvements in agriculture and food production have led to:

  • Increased calorie intake

  • More varied diets

  • Less malnutrition

Medicine and medical care

• Advances in medicine and medical care include:

  • More medicines to treat a wider variety of diseases and illnesses, for example, the development of antibiotics, vaccines and chemotherapy

  • Greater medical knowledge and understanding

  • Increases in the number of doctors and health care professionals

  • Improved care for the elderly

Water supply and sanitation

• Clean water and improved sanitation decrease death rates because:

  • It reduces the spread of diseases such as cholera and typhoid

• These developments have happened more rapidly in developed countries, leading to lower death rates in these countries

Why do birth rates change?

• The birth rate in developed countries has decreased due to:

  • Increased access to contraception

  • More education and information regarding family planning

  • Greater gender equality has led more women to have careers and have children later in life, which results in fewer children being born

  • The cost of raising children leads to people having smaller families

• The birth rate has remained high mainly in developing countries due to:

  • Lack of access to family planning and contraception 

  • An increase in women surviving childbirth

  • Families continue to have large numbers of children to look after their parents in old age and to help support the family

  • A culture of having larger families, which takes many years to change

  • Religious reasons