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SOME BASIC CONCEPTS OF

DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS
We shall now first discuss in this chapter the basic concepts of demography.
1.

Observation

Demographic facts and figures are assembled on the basis of the observation of individuals and groups.
Observations are conducted with a naked eye on the course of events which are open to conflicting influences
acting concurrently. Observation can be of different types.

2.

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Human beings are the objects of observation on whom controlled experiment is not possible as in physical
sciences. The sense in which experiment is possible in demographic study is that different populations can be
studied at the same time and the same population can be studied at different times. Observation requires
sufficient skill, knowledge, expertise and judgement. Slight neglect or biased view can result in misleading
conclusions. Demographic facts cannot have mathematical precision because of the intervention of exogenous
factors. Changes taking place with time and group cannot be properly observed and quantified.
Relative Number

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Students of population will be interested in collecting facts and establishing relations between sets of data and
find out ratios and rates. Both ratios and rates are relative figures and express a relation between two or more
numbers. It is commonly felt that relative numbers are more useful or better than absolute numbers. But this
opinion is not correct for all times and in all cases.

3.

Rates

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In certain cases, absolute numbers can be more useful than relative numbers. Absolute numbers are raw data
of population. Where comparison is indispensable or useful, relative numbers are needed, or else absolute
numbers can serve the purpose.

Rates are used to observe demographic figures in a meaningful way. Birth rates, death rates, marriage rates, etc.,
are used in demographic studies. Some of the important demographic rates are as follows:
Crude birth rate: The number of live births in the year, per 1,000 population at mid-year.

2.

Crude death rate: The number of deaths in the year, per 1,000 population at mid-year.

3.

Crude marriage rate: The number of marriage (not persons marrying) in the year, per 1,000 population
at mid-year.

4.

Crude divorce rate: The number of divorces (not persons divorcing) in the year, per 1,000 population at
mid-year.

5.

Crude rate of natural increase: Difference between the crude birth and death rates.

6.

Abortion rate: The estimated number of abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years in a given year.

7.

Age-specific rate: Rate obtained for specific age groups, for example, age-specific fertility rate, death rate,
marriage rate, illiteracy rate, school enrolment rate, etc.

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8.

General fertility rate: The number of live births per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years in a given year.

9.

Gross reproduction rate (GRR): The average number of daughters that would be born alive to a woman
(or group of women) during her (their) lifetime if she (they) passed through her (their) child-bearing years
conforming to the age-specific fertility rates of a given year.

10. Growth rate: The rate at which a population is increasing (or decreasing) in a given year due to natural
increase and net migration, expressed as a percentage of the base population.
11. Infant mortality rate: The number of deaths of infants under one year of age in a given year per 1,000
live births in that year.
12. Maternal mortality rate: The number of deaths of women due to pregnancy and child birth complications
per 1,00,000 live births in a given year.

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13. Marriage rate (or crude marriage rate): The number of marriages per 1,000 population in a given year.
14. Marital fertility rate: The number of legitimate live births per 1,000 married women aged 15-44 years
in a given year.
15. Net migration rate: The net effect of immigration and emigration on an area's population, expressed as
increase or decrease per 1,000 population of the area in a given year.

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16. Net reproduction rate (NRR): The average number of daughters that would be born to a woman (or
group of women) if she (they) passed through her (their) lifetime from birth conforming to the age-specific
fertility and mortality rates of a given year. This rate is similar to the gross reproduction rate, but takes
into account that some women will die before completing their child-bearing years. An NRR of 1.00
means each generation of mothers is having exactly enough daughters to replace itself in the population.

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17. Prenatal mortality rate: The number of foetal deaths after 28 weeks of pregnancy (late foetal death) plus
the number of deaths of infants under 7 days of age per 1,000 live births.
18. Postneonatal mortality rate: The-annual number of infant deaths in 28 days to one year of age per 1,000
live births in a given year.
19. Survival rate: The proportion of persons in a specified group (age, sex, health status, etc.) alive at the
beginning of an interval (e.g., a 5-year period) who survive till the end of the interval.
20. Total fertility rate (TFR): The average number of children that would be born alive to a woman (or group
of women) during her/their lifetime if she/they were to pass through her/their child-bearing years conforming
to the age-specific fertility rates of a given year.
4.

Ratio

Ratios differ from rates. A rate counts the number of events in a restricted time period for example, one year,
and would be only half that value for a half year. A ratio prevails at a particular point of time, and in this
sense, it is a prevalence concept rather than the incidence concept underlying a rate.
Abortion ratio: It is the estimated number of abortions per 1,000 live births in a given year.

2.

Dependency ratio: It is the ratio of the economically dependent part of the population to the productive
part, arbitrarily defined as the ratio of the elderly (those 65 years and above) plus the young ones (those
under 15 years of age) to the population in the 'working ages' (15-64 years).

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Symbolically
Dependency ratio= D/P K. where D = Dependent Population, and W = Working Population
3.

Sex ratio: It is the number of males per 1,000 females in a population. In India, it is calculated as the
number of females per thousand males. It is calculated mathematically by the formula:

Sex ratio = M / F K or F/M K, where M = male population,

F = female population, and K = constant which is generally taken as 1,000
4.

Density ratio: It is a kind of simple ratio obtained by the division of population of a particular area by
the total population of the country. This is generally expressed, in percentage and calculated by the
formula:

5.

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Density ratio = P /A K, P = population of a particular place, A = area of that particular place in square
Ion., and K = constant
Literacy ratio: It is of literate population of a particular place to the total population of that particular
place.

Symbolically:

P = total population, and K = 100

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Literacy ratio = L/P K, where L = literate population,

Age-sex structure: It is the composition of population as determined by the number of proportion of

males and females in each age category. The age-sex structure of a population is the cumulative result
of past trends in fertility, mortality, and migration. Information on age-sex composition is an essential
prerequisite for the description and analysis of many other types of demographic data.

7.

Census: It is canvas of a given area, resulting in an enumeration of the entire population, and the
compilation of demographic, social, and economic information pertaining to that population at a specific
time.

8.

Child-bearing years: The reproductive age span of women, arbitrarily assumed for statistical purposes to
be 15-44 years in the U.S. In other countries, the range is often set at 15-49 years.

9.

Cohort: A group of people sharing demographic experience who are observed through time. For example,
the birth cohort of 1980 would be the people born in that year. There are also marriage cohorts, schools,
class cohorts, etc.

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6.

10. Exponential growth: A constant rate of growth applied to a continuously growing base over a period of
time; for example, a savings account increasing at compound interest; a snowball gathering mass; a
population growing at 3.0 per cent annually.
11. Family planning: The conscious effort of couples to regulate the number and spacing of births. Family
planning usually connotes the use of birth control - measures to avoid pregnancy, but also includes efforts
of couples to induce pregnancy.
12. Fecundity: The physiological capacity of a woman, man or couple to produce a live child.

Notes

13. Fertility: The actual reproductive performance of an individual, a couple, a group, or a population.

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14. Growth rate: The rate at which a population is increasing (or decreasing) in a given year due to natural
increase and net migration, expressed as a percentage of the base population.
15. In-migration: The process of entering one administrative subdivision of a country (e.g., country or state)
from another subdivision to take up residence.
16. Life expectancy: The average number of additional years a person would live if current mortality trends
were to continue. Most commonly cited as life expectancy at birth.
17. Life table: A tabular display of life expectancy and the probability of dying at each age for a given
population according to the age-specific death rates prevailing at that time. The life table gives an organized,
complete picture of a population's mortality.
18. Median age: The age which divides a population into two numerically equal groups, that is, half the
people are younger than this age and half are older.

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19. Mean age: The average age of all the members of a population.
20. Migration: The movement of people across a specified boundary for the purpose of establishing a new
permanent residence. Divided into international migration (migration between countries) and internal
migration (migration within a country).
21. Neonatal mortality rate: The number of deaths of infants under 28 days of age in a given year per 1,000
live births in that year.

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22. Nuptiality: The frequency, characteristics, and dissolution of marriages in a population.

23. Population density: Population per unit of land area; for example, persons per square mile, or persons per
square kilometre of arable land.
24. Population distribution: The pattern of settlement and dispersal of a population.

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25. Population projection: Computation of figure changes in population numbers, given certain assumptions
about future trends in the rates of fertility, mortality and migration. Demographers often issue low,
medium and high projections of the same population, based on different assumptions of how these rates
will change in the future.
26. Population pyramid: A special type of bar chart that shows the distribution of a population by age and
sex.
27. Urbanization: Growth in the proportion of a population living in urban areas.
28. Vital statistics: Demographic data on births, deaths, marriages, and divorces.

Notes