Population Growth

Abstract

Population growth is a fundamental measure in demography and population geography. It describes population increase over a specified period, although the term is sometimes used synonymously with population change such that population growth can be described as negative as well as positive. Population growth can be measured in absolute terms (numbers) or in the form of a growth rate. The advantage of a rate is that it standardizes for population size, allowing comparisons to be made over time and space. Population growth has many important uses in demographic topics such as urbanization, population aging, and the demographic transition, as well as a myriad of implications for households, local communities, and regions. At the most general level, population growth occurs because gains to the population exceed losses from it, as described by the demographic balancing (or accounting) equation, which states that the population at a particular time equals the population at an earlier time plus births and inward moves minus the deaths and outward moves which occur between the two points in time. Population growth rates vary markedly across the world, with annual average growth rates over 2010–15 varying from −2.3% (Syria) to 6.6% (Qatar). Considerable variations in growth are evident between regions within countries. In Australia, for example, the major cities have been recently been growing at a relatively fast rate while remote areas have witnessed very little population growth.