POPULATION COMPOSITION

POPULATION COMPOSITION

 SEX COMPOSITION

The ratio between the number of women and men in the population is called the Sex Ratio.

 In some countries, like U.S.A, the sex ratio is expressed in terms of number of males per thousand females and is calculated by using the formula:

(male population /female population)*100

Or the number of males per thousand females.

 In India, the sex ratio is calculated in terms of number of females per thousand males. It is calculated as under 

(female population /male population)*100

Or the number of females per thousand males. 

In some countries the sex ratio is unfavorable to women because

(i) Female foeticide 

(ii) Female infanticide

(iii) Domestic violence against women 

(iv) Lower socio-economic status of women 

In the world population sex ratio is 102 males per 100 females.

 The highest sex ratio in the world is recorded in Latvia where there are 85 males per 100 females. In Qatar there are 311 males per 100 females.

 The sex ratio is favorable for females in 139 countries of the world and unfavourable in remaining 72 countries.

 Asia has a low sex ratio in countries like China, India, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

Latvia, Lithuania, Armenia, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and Estonia are among the countries with the largest female population. This shows the better status of women and an excessively male –dominated out –migration to different parts of the world.

AGE STRUCTURE 

Age structure represents the number of people of different age groups. A large size of population in the age group of 15-59 indicates a large working population. A greater proportion of population above 60 years represents an ageing population which requires more expenditure on health care facilities. High proportion of young population means that the region has a high birth rate and the population is youthful. 

AGE-SEX PYRAMID 

The age-sex structure of a population refers to the number of females and males in different age groups. The shape of the population pyramid reflects the characteristics of the population. 

Expanding Populations

This pyramid has larger population in lower age group due to high birth rate. Expanding population pyramid depict population that have a larger percentage of people in younger age group. Population with this shape usually has high fertility rates with lower life expectancies. The age-sex pyramid of Nigeria, Bangladesh and Mexico is triangular shaped with a wide base and is typical of less developed countries.

Constant Populations

This shows birth and death rates are almost equal. It is bell shaped and tapered towards the top.eg: Australia.

Declining Populations 

This type of pyramid has a narrow base and tapered top showing low birth and death rates. The population growth in developed countries is usually zero or negative.eg: Japan

RURAL URBAN COMPOSITION 

Population is divided into two parts-rural and urban on the basis of the size and occupation of settlements. The rural population consists of small sized settlements scattered over the countryside. Urban population is one that lives in large size settlements i.e. towns and cities. Rural areas are those where people are engaged in primary activities and urban areas are those when majority of the working population is engaged in non-primary activities. 

In Western countries, males outnumber females in rural areas and females outnumber the males in urban areas. In countries like Nepal, Pakistan and India the case is reverse. The excess of females in urban areas of U.S.A, Canada and Europe is the result of influx of females from rural areas to avail the vast job opportunities. Farming in these developed countries is highly mechanized and remains largely a male occupation. Sex ratio in Asian urban areas remains male dominated due to predominance of male migration.

 Shortage of housing, high cost of living, paucity of job opportunities and lack of security in cities, discourage women to migrate from rural to urban areas. 

Literacy 

Proportion of literate population of a country is an indicator of its socio-economic development as it reveals the standard of living, social status of females, availability of educational facilities and policies of government. In India-literacy rate denotes the percentage of population above 7 years of age, who is able to read, write and have the ability to do arithmetic calculations with understanding.

Occupational Structure 

The working population takes place in various occupations ranging from agriculture, forestry, fishing, manufacturing, construction, commercial transport, services, communication and other unclassified services. 

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and mining are classified as primary activities, manufacturing as secondary, transport, communication and other services as tertiary and the jobs related to research and developing ideas as quaternary activities. The proportion of working population engaged in these four sectors is a good indicator of the levels of economic development of a nation. A developed economy with industries can accommodate more workers in the secondary, tertiary and quaternary sector. If the economy is in primitive stages, then the proportion of people engaged in primary activities would be high.