POPULATION GROWTH AND CHANGE

Population is constantly changing in the Caribbean.

Population growth rate - The rate at which a population grows each year.

Population change - This is the increase or decrease in the total number of people at a place
over a period of time.

Population growth or change in a country depends on three main factors:

1. Birth Rate - The number of births per 1,000 population.

2. Death Rate - The number of deaths per 1,000 population.

3. Migration - This where people leave a country(emigration) or enter a country(immigration)

permanently.

To calculate population change of a country

Last count + Births - Deaths +/- Migration = Population

Natural Increase - This is an increase in population resulting from more births than deaths
(difference between births and deaths).

Natural Decrease - This is when deaths exceeds births

Fertility Rate - The number of children an average woman will have in her lifetime.

Life Expectancy - The number of years a person is expected to live.

In addition, economic, social and government policies will have an influence on birth rates,
death rates, net immigration and emigration rates.
FACTORS INFLUENCING POPULATION GROWTH IN THE CARIBBEAN

In most countries, the rate of population increase has slowed. The following are some factors
influencing population growth in the Caribbean:

COUNTRY: JAMAICA

1. Fertility Rate – The average number of children in a family has halved in 30 years (from 5.0
to 2.3 presently). There are many reasons for this:

⮚ Birth control is readily available

⮚ More women work, giving greater freedom to plan independently. In Jamaica, two-
thirds of women have jobs. More women than men enter higher education.
⮚ The proportion of families in agriculture has fallen from over 35% in 1965 to 18% today

2. Birth Rate – With lower fertility rate, the birth rate has been falling. Jamaica’s birth rate is
13 per 1000 persons

3. Life Expectancy – As living conditions and health care has improved, life expectancy has
increased since the early 1970s from 69 to 76. Infant mortality has decreased by two-thirds.

4. Death Rate – The death rate has remained the same. Medical care has improved, but there
are more elderly people. Death rate is 6 per 1000

5. Natural Increase – The rate of natural increase is lower because of falling birth rate.
6. Migration – Jamaicans migrate to the USA, many also go to Canada, Britain and other
Caribbean countries. There is a smaller inflow of overseas Jamaicans returning home and
overseas nationals coming to work in Jamaica.

7. Government Policies – All Caribbean governments promote public health to increase life
expectancy and reduce infant mortality. In the 1950s and afterwards, many Caribbean
governments promoted family planning to reduce the birth rate. Government policies also
affect migration.

COUNTRY: CHINA

Reasons for initiating policy: To control and maintain an explosive population in order to
pursue economic policies of development.

This is a demographic cycle of China, showing the increase in population since 1950:

Faced with the problems of providing for an ever growing population China first tried to
discourage births by promoting "Later, longer, fewer" - later marriages, longer wait before
children, fewer children. This failed to have any major influence so in 1979 adopted the
infamous ‘one child policy’.

The Policy: As the country is very closely controlled by the Government they were able to
initiate a strict policy.
 Before getting married a couple will be tutored and tested on family planning. Before having a
child they have to apply for a certificate from their factory. Only so many certificates are
issued annually. If the factory meets certain targets of population control then every worker
will get a wage increase.

A couple signing a form promising to have just one child will be given bonuses at work, receive
priority for housing, a school and University place for the child and higher pensions on
retirement. If the family then have an additional child all benefits are removed. It is also likely
to provoke isolation from their peers as it is not seen as being for the good of the country.

The scheme is monitored by factory workers that act as snoops reporting anyone who looks
pregnant or 'broody'.

The scheme has been very successful at reducing population growth. Fertility rates and Birth
rates have fallen significantly. Life expectancy has doubled. Literacy rates have increased.

The scheme has however been criticised for the following reasons:

1. Mothers expecting a second child are 'encouraged' to have an abortion. This encouragement is
very forceful. Some women have abortions at eight months.
2. The dependency ratios are very high and will increase as the population becomes increasingly
elderly.
3. Evidence of high rates of female infanticide as parents want male child. The custom in China is
that when a couple marry they go to live with the males' parents. This means that they will
look after them in old age. If your child is a girl you will not have anyone to look after you in
old age.
4. Orphanages that are under-funded look after thousands of abandoned females.
5. 'Little Emperor Syndrome' - there is a concern that many of the single children are being badly
spoilt possibly creating a future society of selfish people.

The scheme has been all but abandoned in rural areas where policing was too difficult.

Alternatively, some countries want to encourage population growth. In France following

World War One the government banned all forms of contraception to try and increase the
male population that had been badly reduced during the war. This law has since been changed
but couples still receive several incentives to have a third child. These include:

1. A payment of up to and over £1000 for having a third child.

2. 30% reduction on public transport.
3. Increased maternity leave to six months with full pay.

Analysis of its population pyramids would reveal bad male deficit after WW1 and WW2 each
followed by a period of baby boom.
Whilst the population has grown significantly fertility rates have recently dropped - although
they are still above the European average.