Behind the Numbers: An Exploration of Human Population Demographic Data

 

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2011, Volume 32

Teresa C. Weglarz

Abstract

Increasingly global population size has been a cause for alarm among scientists. Currently, global population size is 6.9 billion and estimates for 2050 range from 8-12 billion. It is estimated that the majority of population growth in the next 50 years will be in developing countries. This computer-based lab activity explores some of the social, economic, and political factors that influence population growth. Understanding the role of these factors in population growth is critical to the study of population demography. Population demographic data provides a glimpse into the population characteristics that are associated with rapid growth. The International Data Base provides population pyramids and demography data, on infant mortality rates, fertility rates, and life expectancy of populations in over 200 countries. This population demographic data provides a glimpse into the population characteristics that are associated with population growth and may provide clues on how to address population growth.

Keywords:  population estimate, population size

Dalhousie University (2010)