Determinants of Population

Topic Content:

Birth Rate:

This is the total number of births per thousand people at a period of time in a year. It is also called the fertility period. A rise in population is a result of an increase in the birth rate while a fall in the birth rate will lead to a decrease in population.

The birth rate is the rate at which new babies are born in a country.

Birth Rate = \( \frac{Number \: of \: Births}{Total \: population \: / \: Population \: size} \: \times \: \frac{1000}{1} \) 

For example, in 2009 the United States had a population of about 307 million and roughly 4,136,000 births.

Birth Rate = \( \frac{Number \: of \: Births}{Total \: population \: / \: Population \: size} \: \times \: \frac{1000}{1} \\ = \frac{4,136,000}{307,000,000} \: \times \: \frac{1000}{1} \\ = \scriptsize 0.0135 \: \times \: \normalsize \frac{1000}{1} \\ = \scriptsize 13.5 \: births \) 

This gives a crude birth rate of 13.5 births per 1,000 population

Factors Affecting/Influencing Birth Rate:

1. Age Rate: The