Population and its Characteristics

Population is defined as the total number of individuals of a species present in a particular area. (For e.g., a country or a state or a city)

Population is studied by a comprehensive census - wherein exhaustive and classified information about number, sex, education, age, income and other basic information about all the people inhabiting in an area is collected.

But the study of population and its characters is made by number of derived parameters - which are based on basic data. The derived parameters offer structural analysis of the population to make many meaningful conclusions. Such parameters are

Natality rate

• Birth rate usually expressed as number of birth for every 1000 people ().

Mortality rate

• Death rate usually expressed as number of deaths for every 1000 people ().

Population density

• expressed as number of people inhabiting in a square kilometer.

Infant mortality

• rate indicating number of child death per 1000 people.

Total fertility rate

• indicating percentage of female population who have produced children.

Sex ratio

• expressed as number of females present for every 1000 males or as number of females for every 100 males.

Literacy rate

• indicating % of population capable of reading and writing.

Life expectancy at birth

• expressed as number of children survived for every 100 births.

Percent adult population

• - adults of age above 15 years for every 100 people.

Adult literacy %

• - Percent of adults capable of reading and writing.

Immigration

• - indicating number of people who have been added to country from other countries permanently.

Population growth rate

• - Rate at which population is growing. It is expressed on annual or decimal basis. It is difference between birth rate and death rate.

Each one of the above derived parameter has specific significance in the study of population. Many of the above parameters are simultaneously studied at rural and urban areas for comparison and few of them for male and female population separately. Further, such studies are compared with earlier studies to arrive at the trend in which each parameter is moving. A combination of all such derived data along with basic data and data of earlier years gives a vast database on population.

The study on population can lead to many conclusions based on such database. This scientific study of population is termed as demography. Demographic study of a country holds key to the developmental plans and reflection of economic policies pursued in a particular country. Regional comparisons are also frequently drawn to distinguish the regional disparities in population related issues as well as development related issues.

The database forms the basis of future plans also. The trend established by comparison with earlier years can lead to meaningful projections about total population, expected growth rate, variations in age, composition of population, literacy rate, death rates etc., These are helpful in planning of future national policies in many fields such as education, finance, industry, healthcare housing, urban development, etc.