Question

Distinguish between population growth and population change.

Answer 1

Population Growth

• Population change can be understood in two different ways – one is in terms of percentage change per year and the other is in terms of absolute numbers.
• During a specific time period, in a specific territory or country, the change in the number of inhabitants is known as the growth of population.

Population Change

• Population change is nothing but the change in composition, distribution, and the change in numbers due to three processes such as migration, births, and deaths.

Birth Rate

• A number of live births per thousand persons in a year is known as the birth rate.
• In India, birth rates have always been higher than death rates, hence it is one of the major components of the population growth rate in India.

Migration

• An important determinant of population change is migration.
• Migration not only changes the size of the population but also changes the composition of the population in rural and urban areas.
• The movement of people across different territories and regions is known as Migration.
• Migration can take place between different countries (international) or within the country (internal).
• The size of the population is not changed by internal migration.
• Due to unemployment and poverty in rural areas and the plenty of employment opportunities and better living conditions in cities drives the migration of the population from rural areas to urban areas.

Death Rate

• The definition of death rate is the number of deaths per thousand people in a year.
• The rapid decline in the death rate has been one of the main causes behind the growth rate of the population in India.