NATURE OF DEMOGRAPHY

NATURE OF DEMOGRAPHY

NATURE:

Demography is defined as a study of human population including its size, distribution, composition and the factors that determine changes in its size, distribution and composition.

FOCUS OF DEMOGRAPHY:

1.     It focuses on the size.

2.     It focuses on the distribution.

3.     It focuses on the composition.

4.     It focuses on the population dynamics.

5.     It focuses on the socio economic determinants and consequences of the population change.

SIZE:

The size has to do with the number living within a given space (geographical territory) at a given point in time. The sizes are also useful in terms of schools i.e. in admitting students; in terms of work place i.e. employment etc.

DISTRIBUTION:

The arrangement of population of people in a given space at a given time either geographically or among different groups of people; no population is evenly (equally) distributed; it is distributed unequally; some places will be highly populated while others will be sparsely populated.

COMPOSITION:

The characteristics of the people who form a given population i.e. in form of sex, gender (how many are males and how many are females), what is the dominant occupation of a given population. sex, gender, income, educational composition, occupational composition of people in a given place there is also racial structure (composition) or in form of residential i.e. urban and rural areas, religion, ethnic structure are all parts of the composition of population.

POPULATION CHANGE (DYNAMIC):

Population change has to do with the growth or decline of the total population of a given place; it is characterized by changes.

Factors that affects Change

·        Death

·        Birth

·        Marriages

·        Migration [+/-]