Samantha Schultz

IGC
Geograph
SEreport
Population
structure
Grade 10

Table
of contents:
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 Samantha Schultz

Introductio p3
n
Australia p4
Bangladesh p7
Kenya p10
Russia p
p
Conclusion
Bibliograph p
y

Introduction:
Population structure
Population structure means the 'make up' or composition of a population. Looking at the population
structure of a place shows how the population is divided up between males and females of different
age groups.
Population pyramids show the structure of a population by comparing relative numbers of people in
different age groups. Figure 1 shows an example of a population structure graph.
Population structures differ markedly between Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs) and
More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs).

·The shape of a population pyramid can tell us a lot about an area's population.
·Usually pyramids are drawn with the % of male population on the left and % of female population

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Samantha Schultz

on the right.
·It gives us information about birth and death rates as well as life expectancy.
·A population pyramid tells us how many dependants there are. There are two groups of
dependants; young dependants (aged below 15) and elderly dependants (aged over 65).
·Dependants rely upon the economically active for economic support.
·Many LEDCs have a high number of young dependants, this means that the pyramid will have a
wide base and the sides of the pyramid will decrease as fewer people will reach old age
·However, many MEDCs have a growing number of elderly dependants, this will be shown by the
pyramid having straight sides or a barrel shape. The pyramid will also be much taller.

Figure 1

In this report I have taken the four countries I was given to investigate and chose the year 2017 for
all the statistics. In this report I will try to break down each country’s population structure to find out
why population structure is so important to a country’s growth.

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Australia’s
populatio structure:
n
Australia ended 2017 with a population of 24,771,000 people, which
represents an increase of 388,000 people compared to 2016.
Australia ranks No. 53 among196 countries which published this
Figure 2
information in countryeconomy.com. The female population is
greater, with 12,344,426 women, representing 50.18% of the total,
compared to 12,254,507 or 49.82% men. Australia is a country with
a very low population density, with 3 people per square km and it
was in position 2th in our ranking of density population in 2017.
Australia is an underpopulated country.
SOSIAL/CULTURAL FACTORS:
Recent census data indicate that about a quarter of the population
identifies itself as Roman Catholic and another 20 percent self-identifies as
Anglican. Though both religions came from the same Christian roots
founded by Jesus Christ in Judea 2000 years ago, Anglicans and Catholics
have diverged to become two separate forms of Christianity. In common
usage there is no appreciable difference between the two religions. Both
religions belief that artificial contraception is sinful and immoral and may
frustrate a divine plan to bring a new life into the world. Instead of using
birth control methods such as the pill, IUDs, diaphragms, and condoms,
Catholics can use Natural Family Planning (NFP) techniques. This can be a
great impact on Australia’s population. Most women and men are
educated and by choice chooses to have less children. Figure 2 shows the
population pyramid of Australia.
ECONOMIC FACTORS:
The main reason Australia is sparsely populated is due to economics.
Climate and terrain are often the answer to what explains variations in
population density. Extreme cold, extreme heat, and mountains can make
some areas difficult to live in. The most common reason for sparsely
populated areas is a lack of water. How easy it is to grow food or to raise
livestock often matters in how many people an area can support. On the
other hand ports, mountain passes, and harbours near navigable rivers
often explain denser populations because of trade allowing and requiring
more people than even quite fertile land can support or need. Other than
climate, terrain, and available drinkable water; history and economic and
political considerations can also affect how many people can be supported.
Though Australia is a huge continent, the fertile “green belt” which
sustains most of it’s population, is gathered around the coastline. Figure
2.1 is a map that show the “Red Centre,” the region in the middle of
Australia, is actually an accurate description of the opposite of this area.
Australia is the driest inhabited country on earth. You can see from the
map below how much of Australia is desert, therefore it cannot support
dense population growth. There are ten deserts in Australia: the Great
Victoria Desert, Great Sandy Desert, Tanami Desert, Simpson Desert, Figure 2.1
Gibson Desert, Little Sandy Desert, Strzelecki Desert, Sturt Stony Desert,
Tirari Desert, and Pedirka Desert. Only 3% of the Australian population live
in the desert. Remote communities, due to their isolation, lack many
services we take for granted when we live in or around major cities and
towns.
The simple fact is that it is nearly impossible to build sustainable and
economically viable populations in hot deserts and treeless grasslands that
receive very little water. So Australia’s rainfall distribution, that has
created deserts across about 45% of Australia, is a key reason for our
sparsely populated country.
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POLITICAL FACTORS:
Once Australia became a developed country, the Australian government made immigration extremely difficult. During the 20th
century Australia strictly enforced the White Australia policy up until the 1970s, making it difficult for immigrants from any non-
white countries to immigrate. Slowly Australia replaced that with a skilled migration scheme, where immigrants are given visas
(after paying like $4,000–$7,000 AUD) based on the job they are applying for. It is basically impossible for an unskilled migrant to
immigrate unless they marry an Australian citizen. Australia also strictly enforces its immigration laws. Unlike the US, there are not
millions of undocumented migrants to Australia. The Royal Australian Navy intercepts most migrants at sea, and then puts them in
detention camps in the Outback and on islands around the country (such as Manus Regional Processing Centre). This is pretty well-
established government policy. So while the developing nations experience a population explosion, and many developed nations
are now rapidly growing due to massive immigration, Australia is preventing that from happening here. Unlike in the US, in Australia
there was never a massive under-the-table immigration scheme where immigrants, be they Chinese rail workers or Mexican
farmers, are allowed to slip under the table to benefit the economy. Australia just didn't do that in so large of a scale and strictly
enforces its borders, even in the present.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS:
Australia is the most desert like country in the WORLD. As large as the country mass is it cannot accommodate much more of its
population. It is a country that is close to survival capacity. It can safely allow immigration due to it’s population not ‘breeding’ at a
high rate. Lower then capacity or what is needed for economic sustainability. Australia is the most fragile ecosystem and land of the
world. Only South Africa shows some minor similarities. Being so fragile any and all disturbances create harsher conditions.
Colonization being one of the most evident, very visual, signs of decay. Any area that is destroyed in Australia quickly becomes
uninhabitable land. Meaning no one can survive living there without full assistance of outside water and food which is over
thousands of kilometres away.
Figure 2.2

Demographi
cAnalysi
s
Figure 2.2 shows the population structure graph of
Australia from 1997 to 2017.
MEDIAN AGE
The median age (the age at which half the population is older and half is younger) of the Australian population
has increased by 3 years over the last two decades, from 34 years at 30 June 1997 to 37 years at 30 June 2017.
Between 30 June 2016 and 30 June 2017 the median age remained steady at 37 years. Tasmania experienced
the largest increase in median age over the last 20 years, increasing by 7 years from 35 years in 1997 to 42
years in 2017. Interstate migration of younger adults from Tasmania to the Australian mainland has
contributed to this accelerated ageing. For further information, see Migration, Australia (cat. no. 3412.0). At 30
June 2017, Tasmania had the oldest median age of all the states and territories (42 years), followed by South
Australia (40 years). The Northern Territory had the youngest median age (33 years), followed by the
Australian Capital Territory (35 years)
AGEING POPULATION
Over the next several decades, population ageing will have a range of implications for Australia, including;
health, size of the working-age population, housing and demand for skilled labour. Like most developed
countries, Australia's population is ageing as a result of sustained low fertility and increasing life expectancy.
This has resulted in proportionally fewer children (under 15 years of age) in the population and a
proportionally larger increase in those aged 65 and over. Between 1997 and 2017, the proportion of
Australia's population aged 15-64 years remained fairly stable, decreasing from 66.6% to 65.7% of the total
population. During the same period, the proportion of people aged 65 years and over increased from 12.1% to
15.4% and the proportion of people aged 85 years and over increased from 1.2% of the total population in
1997 to 2.0% in 2017. Conversely, the proportion aged under 15 years decreased from 21.2% to 18.8%.
CHILDREN (AGED 0-14 YEARS)
In the 20 years between 1997 and 2017, the proportion of children (aged 0-14 years) decreased from 21.2% to

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Samantha Schultz
18.8% of the total population. In the 12 months to 30 June 2017, the total number of children aged 0-14 years
increased by 1.3% (59,100 people) compared with an increase of 1.6% (70,500 people) in the previous year
ending 30 June 2016. Over this period, the number of 0-4 year olds decreased by 2,200 (0.1%), 5-9 year olds
increased by 21,100 (1.3%), and those aged between 10-14 years increased by 40,200 (2.8%). In the year
ended 30 June 2017, the Australian Capital Territory recorded the largest percentage increase in the number
of children aged 0-14 years (2.6%), followed by Victoria (2.3%). Tasmania recorded the smallest increase (less
than 0.1%) followed by the Northern Territory (0.3%).
WORKING-AGE POPULATION (AGED 15-64 YEARS)
At 30 June 1997, the proportion of the population aged between 15 and 64 years (traditionally referred to as
the 'working-age population') was 66.6%. This proportion increased to a high of 67.5% in 2009, before
declining to 65.7% by 30 June 2017. In the 12 months to 30 June 2017, the number of people in the working
ages increased by 1.3% (or 207,700 persons). At the state and territory level, Victoria and New South Wales
experienced growth rates for this group that were higher than the 1.3% national average at 2.2% and 1.5%
respectively. In contrast, Tasmania and the Northern Territory recorded a decrease in the number of 15-64
year olds of less than 0.1% and 0.4% respectively. There were 284,000 young people aged 15 years who
entered the working-age population while 247,700 people turned 65 years and left the working-age population
in the year ended 30 June 2017. Comparing the working-age population (aged 15-64 years) with the remainder
of the population (aged 0-14 and 65 and greater) over the 20 years to 30 June 2017, the non-working-age
population is growing faster at 37.1% compared with 31.7% for the working-age population. This faster growth
in the non-working-ages has been evident since 2010. Over the 5 years to 30 June 2017 the non-working-age
population has been growing at 12.1% compared with 6.2% for the working-age population. The main
contributor to the increased growth of the non-working-age population is growth in the population aged 65
and over.
PEOPLE AGED 65 YEARS AND OVER
Over the 20 years between 1997 and 2017, the proportion of the population aged 65 years and over increased
from 12.1% to 15.4%. This group is projected to increase more rapidly over the next decade, as further cohorts
of baby boomers (those born between the years 1946 and 1964) turn 65. Currently only six cohorts of these
birth years have reached 65 and there are 12 remaining. Notably the past 20 years has seen the proportion of
the Northern Territory's population 65 years and over increase from 3.3% to 7.2% due, in part to an increasing
life expectancy in the Northern Territory's population. In the 12 months to 30 June 2017, the number of people
aged 65 years and over increased by 121,300 people, representing a 3.3% increase. All states and territories
experienced growth in people aged 65 years and over in the year ended 30 June 2017. The largest increase in
this group was in the Northern Territory (5.5%), followed by the Australian Capital Territory (4.1%), and
Queensland (4.0%).
PEOPLE AGED 85 YEARS AND OVER
Over the past two decades, the number of people aged 85 years and over increased by 132.9%, compared with
a total population growth of 33.5% over the same period. In the year ending 30 June 2017, the number of
people aged 85 years and over increased by 11,600 people (2.4%) to reach 494,300. There were almost twice
as many females (308,000) as males (186,400) in this age group which reflects the higher life expectancy for
females. Over the same period, the largest percentage increases of people aged 85 years and over occurred in
the Northern Territory (9.1%), followed by the Australian Capital Territory (3.1%), Western Australia (3.0%),
Tasmania (2.9%), Queensland (2.6%), Victoria (2.4%), New South Wales (2.3%) and South Australia (1.4%).

Conclusion:
By looking at figure 2 and figure 2.2 we can clearly see that the basis of the graph is less wide than what is on
top. This tells us that the population overall is declining because of multiple factors stated earlier.

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Bangladesh’s
population Figure 3

structure:
Bangladesh ended 2017 with a population of 164,669,751 people,
which represents an increase of 1,718,191 people compared to 2016.
Bangladesh ranks No. 8 among196 countries which published this
information in countryeconomy.com. The male population is greater,
with 83,035,772 men, representing 50.43% of the total, compared to
81,633,979 or 50.43% women. Bangladesh Is a country with a very
high population density, with 1,115 people per square km and it was
in position 190th in our ranking of density population in 2017.
Bangladesh is an overpopulated country. Figure 3 shows Bangladesh’s
population pyramid.
SOSIAL/CULTURAL FACTORS:
One reason for over population is religious. The forefathers of present
day Bangladeshis were very religious Muslims. They considered taking
contraceptive methods (condom, pills) are haram. It was a norm in
Bangladesh to have 8–11 children in a family. Only in extremely rare
cases people had one or two children. Another reason is Illiteracy: A
large number of people in Bangladesh are illiterate. Because of it they
are not aware about the affects of increasing of population. They take
many children in their married life. Figure 3.1 and 3.2 shows
Bangladesh children in a refugee camp.
ECONOMIC FACTORS:
Do you know what 80 % of this green land is? Agricultural land. Yes
the Bengal delta is the biggest and MOST fertile in the whole world.
Do know what fertile land supports? It supports a lot of people and so
Bengal has been densely populated for a 1000 years. Even though the
popular was fairly less due to factors like disease and famines every
now and then, it has slowly started to grow. And from the 1950s to
the 2000s population growth was exponential. Rise of medicines and Figure 3.1
better farming methods helped increase the population from 41
million in 1950 to 124million in 2000. Most of the families had 8 to 10
children and rarely did they have 1 or 2 like today. The Bangladesh
government had extensively tried to lower the growth rate of population by implementing mass education and family planning and
contraceptive methods.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS:
Bangladesh is one of the most fertile lands in the world. It has sufficient water for agriculture. It’s a riverine country. For a living you
need availability of food. Every inch of Bangladesh’s land is extremely fertile hence it’s called ‘Sonar Bangla’ (Golden Bengal). Fertile
farmlands and favourable weather conditions. Bangladesh is located in the world’s largest delta and home to numerous rivers, canals
and lowlands. Also the terrain is suitable for human habitats, no mountain range, frozen wasteland or deserts. More than 80% of the
land is cultivated. Also, as a tropical country it faces no extreme weather conditions. The monsoon to the south of Himalayas causes a
rainy season in Bangladesh which lasts for 2 months and especially beneficial for agriculture .
POLITICAL FACTORS:
Bangladesh overall has very poor governance and a lot of corruption in their
government.

Figure 3.2

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Table 1 shows the ageing situation in some selected countries of South Asia. In future South Asia including
China will share the largest number of elderly population. By 2025 Bangladesh along with four other Asian
countries (China, India, Indonesia and Pakistan) will account for about half of the world’s total elderly
population. Among the selected Asian countries Sri Lanka has already over 12% of its population are elderly
followed by Indonesia 8.9%, India 7.5% and Bangladesh 6.3% in 2010. However, the growth elderly population
in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal are the more or less the same. Fertility Transition and mortality transition
occurred early and as a result the percentage of elderly population is also high in Sri Lanka
Trends in Ageing in Bangladesh
Table 1.2 shows the elderly population size in middle of this century in Bangladesh. As evident from table 2
and figure 2 elderly population will be increasing from about 8 million in 2001 to 44 million in 2050. In terms of
percentage it will increase from little over 6 % in 2001 to 20 % by 2051 on the assumption that replacement
fertility will be achieved by 2011.

Ageing Index
The decline of fertility and population aging due the demographic transition will affect Bangladesh. The effects
of these changes, however, would be even more enormous and serious in the future. The increase of the
proportion of elderly will increase dependency ratio and the ageing index. Figure 3.3 shows the ageing index,
which is calculated as the ratio of population 60+ divided by the population under 15 years. Because of falling
fertility and increase in ageing population the ageing index of population aged 60 years and above will increase
more than eleven times in 2050 than the population aged under fifteen years.

Age structure of the population 2001 and 2050

Achievement of the replacement fertility in time will bring the change in the demographic transition and the
age structure of the population. Figure 3.4 shows the population pyramid between 2001 and 2021. In 2001
pyramid shows younger population that is under 15 years dominated because of high fertility in the past. On
the other hand 2021 population age pyramid shows declining in the population under 15 years but increase in
the population aged 15 to 34 years because of the high cohort fertility in the past and falling fertility in the
recent years. Similarly figure 6 shows population pyramid for 2001 and 2050. A close investigation of the two
pyramids show they are quite different. The 2001 was for the high fertility situation as against achievement
of replacement fertility assumption by 2011. If Bangladesh can achieve replacement fertility by 2011 than the
proportion of population in the age groups will remain more or less the same by 2050, however, with the
exception of rapid increase of population aged 60 years and above shown in Figure 3.5. Besides falling fertility
life expectancy at birth has been increasing. Change in population age structure might affect the composition
of investment demand for more hospitals, demand for more family care.

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Figure 3.3

Figure 3.4

Figure 3.5

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Kenya’s
Samantha Schultz

structure:
populatio
n
Kenya ended 2017 with a population of 49,699,862 people, Figure 4
which represents an increase of 1,238,295 people compared
to 2016. Kenya ranks No. 28 among196 countries which
published this information in countryeconomy.com. The
female population is greater, with 24,999,141 women,
representing 50.3% of the total, compared to 24,700,721 or
49.7% men. Kenya shows a moderate population density, with
86 people per square km and it was in position 100th in our
ranking of density population in 2017. Kenya isn’t particularly
over- or underpopulated, however it has a fast fertility rate.
Figure 4 shows Kenya’s population pyramid.
SOSIAL/CULTURAL FACTORS:
In some cultures you are considered richer if you have more
children. Some families even have a lot of children because it’s part
of their religion. Others have many children to make sure that they
have someone to look after them when they are weak and old or to
make sure that at least one of their children makes it to adulthood.
ECONOMIC FACTORS:
There is a lack of money and education in most parts of Kenya that
causes women to be uneducated about the importance of family
planning. Most of these people think that their children can come
work for them on their farm to earn them more money or they even
abuse government help for people who can’t support their children
and then use the money the government gives them on themselves
leaving their child to live in poverty.
POLITICAL FACTORS:
Kenya is perceived as one of the world’s most corrupt countries. It
ranked 143 out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s
2017 corruption perception index. The only African countries that
scored worse – among them Somalia, South Sudan, Libya, Eritrea,
Burundi, and Zimbabwe – were either politically unstable or in
conflict. Kenya’s competitiveness is held back by high corruption Figure 4.1
levels that penetrate every sector of the economy. A weak judicial
system and frequent demands for bribes by public officials lead to
increased business costs for foreign investors. Widespread tax
evasion hinders Kenya’s long-term economic growth, and fraud in
public procurement is rampant.

Figure 4.1 shows a large Kenyan family.

Figure 4.2 shows Kenyans standing up against corruption.

Figure 4.2

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One of the major consequences of the demographic transition is the transformation of the age structure.
NCPD (2017) show that the youthful structure of the population aged less than 15 years has been declining
while that of the working population aged 15-59 has been increasing. Between 1969 and 2016 the proportion
of the population aged less than 15 years declined from 46.3 percent to 41 percent while that for the
proportion in the working age groups 15-59 increased from 46.3 percent to 53 percent. The population aged
less than 15 years is projected to decline further by 2050 to 27.5 percent while the working age population will
increase to 61 percent. This transformation progresses in stages starting with a reduction in the proportion of
the children aged less than 15 years accompanied by an increase in the proportion of the youth aged 15 to 24
eventually resulting in the increase in the proportion of the working age population (15-64 years) and a
reduction in the dependency burden. Such a structure is considered potentially advantageous to economic
development and is referred to as ‘demographic dividend’ or ‘demographic window of opportunity’. Table 2.1
summarizes key aspects of age structure based on the Kenya Household and Budget survey 2015/16 and
indicators of the dependency ratio.

The ratio of the working-age population relative to the non-working-age population is called the age-
dependency ratio. The ratio is expressed as the number of dependents per 100 people of working age. The
dependency ratio summarizes the effect of changes in age distribution and can be used as a proxy indicator of
the economic burden and responsibility borne by the working-age population. Age dependency ratios of 100
and above are undesirable. The traditional measure of dependency ratio 1 which considers child population to
be under 15 while the elderly population to be age 65 and above. Dependency ratio 2 considers child
population to be 0-19 and elderly to be age 60 and above. The second measure considers that with increased
schooling among children and tendency to enter into the job market to be later together with retirement at
age 60 increases the number of dependents to the working population. Thus the dependency ratio 1 declined
from 94 per 100working persons in 2009 to about 84 in 2016. But consideration of the dependency ratio 2
shows that the burden to the working population is still very high. Both dependency ratio 1 and 2 are only
potential but do not take into account the persons unemployed in the working age group. Using the household
budget survey, there were 20,374,300 persons in age group 15-64 but only 17, 875,800 reported to be
employed indicating that 1,435,800 were unemployed within the same age group. Taking into account the
persons unemployed in the working age, the dependency ratio becomes 122 per 100 working persons which is
much higher that the computed potential of 84 per 100.

Changing mortality rates and health

Not only are more people surviving to age 60, but are also living longer into old age as well. This has created
structural changes in disease patterns that are concomitant with the transformation in the age pattern of
morbidity and mortality. Figure 4.3 shows the changes in life expectancy at age 60 for males and females
separately. The life expectancy for males have increased by 2.2 years while that for females by 2.5 years since
the turn of the century. The increased longevity for males and females has been associated with the growing
influence of non-communicable diseases in disease burden. The increasing disease burdens from NCDs in
Kenya, even as the country grapples with continued burdens of infectious, maternal, perinatal and nutritional
causes of illness and death, presents challenges in priority setting, resource allocation for health and the
provision of universal health coverage.

Household size, composition and living arrangements and implications on social protection
Another effect of population dynamics and changing distribution is in the household size, composition and
living arrangements. According to UNDESA (2017a), the average household size now stands and 3.9 persons at
2014, having declined from an average of 5.3 in 1969. The average number of children per household among
households with children is 2.6. The proportion of households with children under age 15 is 66 percent;
however the proportion of households with an adult member age 60 and above is only 19 percent. About 11
percent of households have both children under age 15 as well as adults age 60 and above. The proportion of

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persons age 60 and above living alone has increased from 7 percent in 1969 to about 13 percent in 2014 while
those who are over 80 increased from 10 to 17 over the same period (UNDESA, 2017b). About 16 percent of
women and 10 percent of males age 60 and above are more likely to be living alone. The living arrangements
have implications for social protection especially health, access to adequate food and nutrition and self-care
for elderly persons.

Changing Land holding and implications

The rapid increase of the population has led to the fragmentation of the land to smaller land holdings and over
exploitation of land and other natural resources as the population density in these areas continues to increase
(AFIDEP and PAI, 2012). This has led to very high land inequality in Kenya with a Gini coefficient of 0.55. The
intergenerational subdivision of land also constrains the options of rural youth entering the labour force.
Yamano et al., (2009) indicated that roughly a quarter of young men and women born in rural areas start their
families without inheriting any land from their parents, forcing them to either commit themselves to off-farm
employment including migration or to renting land. Oyvat and Mwangi wa Gĩthĩnji, (2017) have shown that
higher land inequality in rural household leads to increase the probability of rural to rural migration and to
rural to urban migration especially smaller cities or towns and four largest urban areas - specifically Mombasa,
Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret and suburban Nairobi.

Table 2.1

Figure 4.3

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Russia’
Samantha Schultz

structure:
populatio
s
Figure 5

n
Russia ended 2017 with a population of 143,990,000 people, which
represents an increase of 25,000 people compared to 2016. Russia
ranks No. 9 among196 countries which published this information
in countryeconomy.com. The female population is greater, with
77,342,922 women, representing 53.53% of the total, compared to
67,152,122 or 46.47% men. Russia is a country with a very low
population density, with 8 people per square km and it was in
position 15th in our ranking of density population in 2017. Russia is
an underpopulated country. From 1991 (fall of USSR) Russia
experienced little to no natural population growth. In fact from
1991 to 2012 Russia had a natural population decrease! Figure 5
shows Russia’s population pyramid.
SOSIAL/CULTURAL FACTORS:
Low Birth Rate: Understandably, due to these high rates of alcoholism
and economic hardship, women feel less than encouraged to have
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS: Climate change
children in Russia. Russia's total fertility rate is low at 1.3 births per
doesn’t just affect people’s physical health by
woman. This number represents the number of children each Russian
exacerbating problems like asthma — it can also
woman has during her lifetime. A replacement total fertility rate to
cause mental health issues like anxiety and
maintain a stable population is 2.1 births per woman. Obviously, with
depression, according to a new report Researchers
such a low total fertility rate Russian women are contributing to a
behind the report from the American
declining population. The birth rate in the country is also quite low; the
Psychological Association and eco America say the
crude birth rate is 10 births per 1000 people. The world average is just
mental health impacts come both immediately
over 20 per 1000 and in the U.S. the rate is 14 per 1000.
following extreme weather events tied to climate
Abortion Rates: During the Soviet era, abortion was quite common and
change and gradually as temperatures and sea
was utilized as a method of birth control. That technique remains
levels rise over the course of years and decades.
common and quite popular today, keeping the country's birth rate
Trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder and
exceptionally low. According to a Russian news source, there are more
depression all rank among the ailments linked to
abortions than births in Russia. The online news source mosnews.com
climate change, according to the report, which
reported that in 2004 1.6 million women had abortions in Russia while 1.5
examines data from dozens of previous studies.
million gave birth. In 2003, the BBC reported that Russia had, "13
terminations for every 10 live births." Figure 5.1 shows Russia’s abortion The darker days and colder weather can bring with
rates of 1957 to 2017. them a feeling of low spirits. With the population
ECONOMIC FACTORS: of more than 170,000, Norilsk, Russia, is one of the
Immigration: Additionally, immigration into Russia is low—immigrants are biggest cities above the polar circle. The architect
primarily a trickle of ethnic Russians moving out of former republics (but created the urban space to protect inhabitants
now independent countries) of the Soviet Union. Brain drain and from violent winds. The buildings are grouped
emigration from Russia to Western Europe and other parts of the world is together to form enclosed courtyards, with narrow
high as native Russians seek to better their economic situation. Putin passageways in between. Environments like this
himself explored the issues surrounding the low birth rate during his can cause depression in a country.
speech, asking "What has prevented a young family, a young woman,
from making this decision? The answers are obvious: low incomes, a lack
of normal housing, doubts about the level of medical services and quality Figure 5.1
education. At times, there are doubts about the ability to provide enough
food." Poverty is a major concern for many people living in Russia and one
fifth of the Russian population is potential emigrants.
POLITICAL FACTORS:
The political and economic regimes in modern Russia are the main causes
of the negative population growth. Russian people do not want to live in
this criminal and corrupt country: active, young and educated migration,
others drink too much, are bad medical services and dying, women are
not give birth to their children here.
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The "Depopulation" of Russia?

In 1992, Russia's population entered a period of negative growth--that is, the number of deaths exceeded the
number of births combined with the number of immigrants. This was a first in the peacetime history of Russia.

This historic population decline has been met with increasing concern in some Russian circles. The Russian
mass media have overflowed with alarming articles on population issues. Based on popular, nonprofessional
interpretations of available vital statistics, some are calling "to save Russia from depopulation." As a result, the
general public has been misled about population issues. The average citizen is likely to draw a direct
connection between the current economic slump and a demographic crisis. This alarmist view ignores long-
term trends in fertility. As in many Western industrialized nations, Russia's fertility rate has fallen over the
course of the 20th century from a relatively high level to a low one. In 1920, the average Russian woman was
expected to give birth to about 7.5 children in her lifetime; in 1994, that number had fallen to 1.4. This
demographic transition is characteristic of industrial and industrializing nations and is usually associated with
greater numbers of women joining the work force and increased divorce and cohabitation, all of which tend to
reduce family size and drive down fertility rates. Similar patterns have emerged in the United States and other
Western countries (see Figure 5.2)

However, Russia's fertility patterns have followed their own unique path over the past two decades. In
addition to the decline in births, the age patterns of childbearing have been changing. In many Western
countries, the peak childbearing age for women has grown older and now falls between 25 and 29; by
contrast, the peak age in Russia has become younger, occurring between ages 20-24. Furthermore, by 1991,
fertility between ages 15-19 exceeded that in the age groups over 30 and rivalled that of the 25-29 age group.
This tendency towards fertility at younger ages is reflected in marriage patterns. Between 1960 and 1995, the
average marrying age of women in Russia fell by 4.2 years, from 26.2 to 22.0. This trend sharply distinguishes
Russia from other industrialized nations, where the tendency is for women to postpone marriage and
childbearing. Contributing to this shift toward earlier childbearing and the low fertility rate has been Russia's
high rate of abortion. The incidence of abortion in Russia is the world's highest. In 1992, there were 225
abortions per 100 births, far exceeding the second highest rate--Romania's--which was 157 per 100 births.
Abortion has become Russia's main method of birth control. Abortions are easily obtained free of charge at
virtually all clinics, while contraceptives have been unavailable. Despite the procedure's prevalence, it
frequently poses health risks for Russian women because it is often performed without proper hygiene or
anaesthesia. Abortion has also played a role in concentrating women's reproductive activity in early years.
Women try to achieve their desired number of children at a young age and then abort subsequent pregnancies
without fear of secondary sterility, which often results from frequent abortions. Only in recent years, as the
availability of effective contraceptives has increased and the negative effects of abortion have been openly
reported by the media, has the number of abortions begun to decline. Like the trend in fertility, Russia's
current net immigration inflow perpetuates trends that emerged earlier, in this case during the late 1960s and
1970s. The size of this inflow increased dramatically after the collapse of the Soviet Union but appears to have
subsided somewhat. While Russia currently lacks the infrastructure and experience to deal with immigrants on
a large scale, immigration is sometimes weighed as an option for offsetting the natural population decline.
Russia's current population picture need not be viewed as a short-term crisis. A more plausible explanation is
that fertility patterns are resuming their long-term trend after a temporary increase in the 1980s that stemmed
from government policies aimed at inducing families to have more children. These measures included paid
maternity leave and extra benefits in housing and services for families with three children or more. The effect
of these measures was to shorten the interval between births. The current pattern suggests that the older
timing is reasserting itself. Economic hard times may have further influenced this pattern. Although a two-child
family is still the norm, economic difficulties may force postponement of the second child.
The "Graying" of the Russian Population
The decline in fertility is contributing to a rapid aging of the Russian population. Between 1959 and 1990, the
number of persons aged 60 and over doubled. As a result, at the beginning of the 1990s, the proportion of the
population aged 60 or over reached 16 percent. This figure will reach 20 percent by 2015. By that year, nearly
one of out of every three people over 60 will be 75 or older. The trends of population growth and aging in

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Samantha Schultz
Russia have been profoundly affected by catastrophic events, such as the two world wars, the civil war of
1917-1922, and famines in the early 1920s and '30s. These catastrophes have distorted the population
pyramid--the typical age distribution and balance between male and female in the population (Figure 5.3). For
example, huge losses during World War II have caused Russia to have the lowest overall male-to-female ratio
in the world, especially among the elderly. The irregularities of this pyramid will continue to have an impact on
the number of births and the rate of population growth and aging for several decades. This pattern affects
such vital spheres as school enrolment, employment, and retirement. Another determinant of the current age
structure in Russia has been the declining fertility rate, which is reducing the number of young people in the
population (a trend visible in Figure 3 for the age group under 10). In the past, the prevailing age structure
compensated for the long-term trend toward lower fertility. The average age of the population was relatively
young, and many women were of childbearing age. Beginning in the 1990s, however, this is no longer the case.
The age structure is now such that it will promote a population decrease rather than an increase. Continued
low fertility will only accelerate this effect.
The Epidemiological Situation: Deteriorating Russian Health
Perhaps the only genuine crisis aspect of current Russian demographic trends appears in increased rates of
mortality, which have been especially dramatic among working-age men. In 1992, there was a sharp increase
in deaths from non-natural causes. By 1994, mortality rates for males between ages 15 and 64 were about
twice as high as they had been in 1986 (Figure 5.4). Rising alcoholism and related conditions have figured
prominently in this trend. In the mid-1980s, an anti-alcohol campaign championed by Mikhail Gorbachev was
responsible for a brief reversal in the mortality trend, but the increase resumed after the campaign was
abandoned in the late 1980s. Growing alcohol consumption is not the only explanation of increased mortality.
Deaths from violence, injuries, and other non-natural causes have contributed heavily to the latest rise.
Russia's rates of homicide and suicide are among the highest in the world. In addition, deaths from illness and
chronic and degenerative diseases, such as cancer, respiratory failure, and circulatory and cardiovascular
diseases, have increased sharply. It is interesting to note that environmental problems, generally given a large
share of blame for Russia's health woes, are in fact not among the main culprits. Environmental problems
cannot explain the increases in accidents, homicides, and suicides or the much greater increases in mortality
for working-age males compared with other population subgroups. Mirroring the increase in mortality rates,
life expectancy in Russia has dropped. However, like the fertility trend, the current pattern is not new. In the
mid-1960s, after decades of increase, life expectancy began to decline. This trend was reversed briefly in the
mid-1980s due, many believe, to the success of the anti-alcohol campaign between 1985 and 1987. However,
by 1993, life expectancy fell again. Russia now has the lowest life expectancy for males in a developed country
(58 years) and the largest disparity in the world between male and female life expectancy (13.5 years; see
Figure 5.5).
The Failing Health-Care System
The increase in deaths from preventable causes points to problems in Russia's health-care system. Again, these
problems are not a recent phenomenon. They have accumulated over many years. One characteristic of the
Soviet period was a lack of incentives to improve medical services. When changes in the health of the
population occurred--such as a decrease of infectious disease and a rise in "civilized" ills, such as alcoholism,
smoking, traffic accidents, and pollution, in the mid-1960s--the health-care system failed to adapt
appropriately. Excessive reliance on ideology led to ineffectual goals and an emphasis on activities that
addressed neither the medical problems at hand, the level of national development, existing medical
capabilities, nor public demand. In the 1980s, the system finally made attempts to cope with the changing
health environment, but the strategy was poorly implemented and lacked necessary investments in facilities
and equipment. Although these problems were not created by the current socioeconomic crisis, they have
been aggravated by the breakdown of the old social system. In the Soviet era, virtually all health care was
provided free by the state, whose system emphasized the quantity of medical personnel and facilities,
overlooking the quality of services, and pursued goals set on the basis of political ambitions rather than on
objective medical needs and economic capabilities.

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 Samantha Schultz
As the command economy crumbled, the public-health sector plunged into a financial crisis. The system found
itself in an emerging market environment without the capacity to function successfully in it. Left without
proper funding, health-care facilities were forced to abandon new construction, renovation, and other basic
investments. Cost cutting necessitated switching to cheaper technologies, which proved insufficient to
maintain needed levels of care. Available funds were frequently diverted to current needs. As a result, the
health status of the Russian population is deteriorating, and diseases long thought to be eliminated or
controlled--such as diphtheria--are now spreading again.

Reviving an effective health-care system in its current form presents a near-impossible task. Many important
medical research centres, especially at the federal level, have been left without proper financial support.
Progress in all spheres of health care is under great stress. Faced with this situation, the Russian government
has attempted to reform the health-care sector through privatization, marketing services in state-owned
facilities, and promoting the private medical sector. One of the main goals of reform is to establish compulsory
health insurance financed through taxes and operated by both the state and the private sector. However, the
reform has yet to produce noticeable results. Russians are used to receiving free health care and many are
unwilling and frequently unable to pay for health services.

In addition, serious health-care problems exist that extra spending alone will not address. There are no clearly
defined federal and local health-protection policies, no effective programs for monitoring outcomes, and no
openly declared systems of control and delegation of responsibilities for state and public health institutions.
Moreover, the incidence of destructive behaviours, such as violence and alcohol consumption, has increased.
Heavy tobacco use contributes to a high rate of mortality from lung cancer, which occurs 60 percent more
frequently in Russia than in the United States. Without attention to these problems, additional funding for
health care per se is likely to have little effect.

Figure 5.2
Figure 5.3

Figure 5.4

Figure 5.5
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Samantha Schultz

Conclusio
In conclusion we can see that population structure is the amount of people separated by age and

n:
gender that lives in a specific country. Population structure is important because it helps us
determine a county’s past and future. By only looking at a county’s population structure pyramid we
can see whether it is a LEDC or a MEDC. By doing my research I discovered that other people can
look at population structures differently than me or others. My own conclusion is that it is very
important to understand how population structure works and how we can use it to determine a
country’s growth in the future.

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Samantha Schultz

Bibliography:
Pictures
Figure 1 https://www.google.co.za/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fimage.slidesharecdn.com
%2F3populationstructures-111116154054-phpapp02%2F95%2Fpopulation-structures-2-728.jpg%3Fcb%3D1321458149&imgrefurl=https
%3A%2F%2Fwww.slideshare.net%2FPLANETGE0GRAPHY%2Fpopulation-structures-10191768&docid=_uoLM-
JgQd1XZM&tbnid=q7JkBbsNsIzFNM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwj_gr7T4-
DgAhX1wcQBHZRiDX8QMwg_KAEwAQ..i&w=728&h=546&safe=active&bih=625&biw=1366&q=what%20is%20population
%20structure&ved=0ahUKEwj_gr7T4-DgAhX1wcQBHZRiDX8QMwg_KAEwAQ&iact=mrc&uact=8

Figure 2 https://images.populationpyramid.net/capture/?selector=
%23pyramid-share-container&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.populationpyramid.net%2Faustralia%2F2017%2F%3Fshare%3Dtrue

Figure 2.1
https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-63b80d123fe67c8f93625fbfaea712a3

Figure 2.2
https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/b4005c38619c665aca25709000203b8d/ccf53aa000e69954ca2582570013f5
c6/Body/0.1AEC!OpenElement&FieldElemFormat=gif

Figure 3 https://images.populationpyramid.net/capture/?selector=
%23pyramid-share-container&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.populationpyramid.net%2Fbangladesh%2F2017%2F%3Fshare%3DtruE

Figure 3.1
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-10/rohingya%C2%A0muslim-children-near-balukhali-refugee-camp,-bangladesh/9036464

Figure3.2

http://themorningbellbd.com/myanmar-military-led-extreme-violence-against-rohingya-us/

Figure 3.3
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259392148_Population_ageing_in_Bangladesh_and_its_implication_on_health
_care

Figure 3.4
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259392148_Population_ageing_in_Bangladesh_and_its_implication_on_health
_care

Figure 3.5
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259392148_Population_ageing_in_Bangladesh_and_its_implication_on_health
_care

Figure 4 https://images.populationpyramid.net/capture/?selector=
%23pyramid-share-container&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.populationpyramid.net%2Fkenya%2F2017%2F%3Fshare%3Dtrue

Figure 4.1
https://chefdsmith.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/kenyan-family.jpg

Figure 4.2
https://cdn08.allafrica.com/download/pic/main/main/csiid/00340896:26296e71506d5da509c79f2898226425:arc614x376:w285:us1.png

Figure 4.3
http://www.ncpd.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/STATE-OF-KENYA-POPULATION-JUNE-2018.pdf

Figure 5 https://images.populationpyramid.net/capture/?selector=
%23pyramid-share-container&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.populationpyramid.net%2Frussian-federation%2F2017%2F%3Fshare%3Dtrue

Figure 5.1
http://www.unz.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/russia-abortion-1957-2017.png

Figure 5.2
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/www/external/pubs/issue_papers/IP162/xIP162.f2.jpg.pagespeed.ic.uft9rQtYob
.jpg
Figure5.3
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/www/external/pubs/issue_papers/IP162/xIP162.f3.jpg.pagespeed.ic.4sHOjeYQ4
Z.jpg

18 | P a g e
Samantha Schultz
Figure 5.4
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/www/external/pubs/issue_papers/IP162/xIP162.f4.jpg.pagespeed.ic.CX39nsNe9
F.jpg
Figure 5.5
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/www/external/pubs/issue_papers/IP162/xIP162.f5.jpg.pagespeed.ic.yY89aqx6x
E.jpg
Websites
Website 1
https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/guides/ztr2w6f/revision/1

Website 2
https://www.statista.com/statistics/242569/age-distribution-in-australia /

Website 3
https://www.quora.com/Why-is-Australia-so-sparsely-populated

Website 4
https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_world-regional-geography-people-places-and-globalization/s15-02-australia.html

Website 5
https://www.quora.com/Why-is-Bangladesh-so-densely-populated

Website 6
https://www.quora.com/Why-is-Russia-the-biggest-country-in-the-world-yet-has-such-a-small-population

Website 7
https://www.kenyaplex.com/resources/1363-causes-and-problems-of-population-increase-in-keny

Website 8
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259392148_Population_ageing_in_Bangladesh_and_its_implication_on_health_care

Website 9 https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/featurearticlesbyCatalogue/CCF53AA000E69954CA2582570013F5C6?
OpenDocument

Website 10
http://www.ncpd.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/STATE-OF-KENYA-POPULATION-JUNE-2018.pdf

Website 11
https://www.rand.org/pubs/issue_papers/IP162/index2.html

Tables

Table 1.1
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259392148_Population_ageing_in_Bangladesh_and_its_implication_on_health
_care

Table 2.1
http://www.ncpd.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/STATE-OF-KENYA-POPULATION-JUNE-2018.pdf

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