Population Pyramids

Population pyramids

are graphs that can tell us a

wealth of information about a place's people.

These special graphs are called “pyramids” because most

nation’s statistics take the shape of a upward-sloping pyramid.

The statistics on a population pyramid

give governments and others the tools they need to make

informed decisions and plans for the future.

Population pyramids are easier to interpret that most

people think!

Pyramids are types of graphs that depict the basic shape of a country's age and gender structure in a way different from

charts like this:

They are created by making horizontal bars to show how many males and

females fall into specific age categories.

A population pyramid begins with a bar graph that shows the number of

people in a country, at each age group.

Millions Of

People

Age groups

The bar graph is turned on its side, next to another bar graph, turned on its side.

Population in millions,Males under 4 years old.

Population in millions,Females 10-14 years old.

Pyramids are created with the youngest group at the bottom

and the oldest on top.

There are three general shapes of population pyramids;

1. Rapid Growth

2. Slow Growth

3. Near Zero Growth

                                                                                                                                               

Rapid Growth:

A rapid growth's pyramid really has the triangular shape of a pyramid

because each group is larger than the one born before it.

These shapes of pyramids are common in nations with young

populations with high birth rates.

Many developing nations’ pyramids reflect this shape.

Slow Growth:

A slow-growth population's pyramid is more of a straight, column-shape.

It seems to be a nearly equal distribution of the population at most

age group categories.

This shape is common in developed countries, like the United States.

Near-Zero, or Negative Growth:

A population that is not growing, or actually decreasing produces a

different shaped pyramid.

The bottom of its pyramid narrows.

Many highly industrialized societies are actually experiencing negative

population growth.

Their pyramids reflect the fact that fewer children are being born and

more elderly are living longer.

How do Pyramids Predict the Future?

Explain the

changing

needs of

government

services,

If a country's population is growing tremendously, the need will be immediate

for more schools and teachers, then eventually, the need for more

health services for the elderly!

Burkina Faso, 2000

Burkina Faso, 2025

Possible usage of natural resources,

INDIA, 2000

INDIA, 2025

INDIA, 2050

Let’s look at population pyramids for Indonesia for the next

few decades…Can you predict what decisions and plans will need to be made

for the future?

INDONESIA,2000

INDONESIA2025

INDONESIA2050

Population pyramids are useful

predictors of the growing needs of

our planet!

Population Pyramids

Source: U.S. Census Bureau