DEFINITION OF DEMOGRAPHY

DEFINITION OF DEMOGRAPHY

Demography may be defined as a scientific study of the size, composition and distribution of human population and their changes resulting from mortality, fertility, and migration. Demography is concerned with how large or small populations are.

It is also concerned with how small or large societies are, and it is concern with how populations are distributed in physical space e.g. how urban or rural societies are.

            Demography is also interested in changes over time and the size composition and distribution of human population and how these results from the process of fertility, mortality and migration. Demography is concerned with the description, analysis and understanding of population phenomenon.

DEFINITION OF DEMOGRAPHY

U.N multi-lingual Demographic Dictionary; This defined demography as the scientific study of human population primarily with respect to their size, structure and their development (change).

According to Peter R. Cox defined demography as the study by statistical method of human population involving primarily the measurement of the size and growth or diminution the numbers of people, the properties living beings born or dying within the same area or region and the related function of mobility, mortality and marriage (Note: The issue of distribution is not captured in this definition)

Houser and Duncan (1959); Demography is the study of the size, territorial distribution and composition of population, changes varying, and the composition of such changes, which may be identified as morbidity (life) mortality (death), territorial movement (migration) and social mobility (change of status) .

Composition of population implies

1)    Such threats as sex, age

2)    Such life-circle attribute as educational level, marital and house hold status

3)    Such variable characteristics as occupation, income, socio-economic status etc.

Donald J. Bogue, (1969) Defined demography as the mathematical and statistical study of the size, composition and spatial distribution of human population and of changes over time in these aspect through the operations of the 5 processes of fertility, mortality, marriage, migration and social mobility.

We can therefore summarize the definition of demography as the dynamic and developing discipline and it can be study either from its technical aspects which involves the statistical analysis of the population size and its composition and factors responsible from its growth and development (which is a narrow view of the subject) or from the societal aspects which are concerned with the relationship between demography processes, on the one hand and social economic, political, biological factors on the other hand.