2.2 Consequences of Population Distribution

Depending on where people live (urban or rural), how old people are (dependency ratio, younger population, graying population) and what stage of the Demographic Transition Model (DTM) a country is in, population distribution is affected in many ways.

🏛 Political

60% of the world’s population lives in Asia. Most of those countries are predominantly rural, but many are becoming more urbanized. 

Do these countries import or grow more food to feed a growing population? Is farming becoming more mechanized? As more people are moving into cities, are they improving infrastructure to handle booming cities? 

If you have a younger population, are policies (education, job growth) being implemented to help in the future? If you have a graying population, like Japan, are investments being made in healthcare, retirement homes, and social security? How does this put a burden on people of working age (16-64)?

• Representation: If there is a democratic system of government in place, then the population distribution can influence how many representatives an area gets to have in their government, giving them more influence over policy decisions.

• Resource allocation: Funding for infrastructure and public services is also determined by population, meaning a higher population will lead to larger funding.

• Political identity: The distribution of cultural populations can influence the development of political identities and movements, which can lead to conflicts regarding representation in government or resources.

💰 Economic

The dependency ratio is the ratio of nonworking members (those under the working age and retired) to the number of working adults. The size of the dependency ratio of a country affects its economy. If a country has a high percentage of people under working age, it should invest in things like childcare, schooling, education, and job growth. 

If it is becoming more urbanized it should invest in jobs in services and industry. If it has a graying population, which is a large percentage of people over 64, it should invest in medical technology and personnel, healthcare, adult housing, and social security.

• Employment: The availability of employment opportunities can largely be affected. For example, a higher population would lead to a larger labor force and a more diverse job market.

• Economic Development: The overall economic development is affected by population distribution. Economic growth can be led by a higher population that attracts businesses and investment.

• Infrastructure: The development and maintenance of infrastructure (roads, bridges, and utilities) are also influenced by population distribution.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Social

Countries that are pro-natalist are encouraging people to have more children. Japan has invested millions of dollars into this as it is in stage 5 of the DTM. Its population is declining. In places like Eastern Europe and Singapore, countries are trying to produce population growth. 

While countries in Stage 2 of the DTM (Sub-Saharan Africa) the population is rising quickly. In some of these countries, the average TFR is over 5. These countries should work to improve women’s health and education, which has been able to slow natural increase rates down significantly.

• Community Development: Social networks are affected, areas with a higher population density may have more diverse communities and a stronger sense of community

• Culture and diversity: Areas with a high concentration of a particular ethnic or cultural group may have a distinct culture, while areas with a more diverse population may have a more varied cultural makeup.

• Quality of life: Individual and Community quality of life can be influenced, for example, areas with a higher population density may have more amenities and opportunities, but may also experience overcrowding and other negative impacts on quality of life.

• Social mobility: The ability to move up or down the social ladder is affected. Areas with a higher population and more diverse job market may offer more opportunities for social mobility

🌳 Environment

Overpopulation can severely affect areas environmentally and deplete natural resources. This is the idea of carrying capacity, which is the greatest amount of people the environment of an area can support sustainably. 

The more people in an area the more pollution and waste are produced. The 20 most polluted cities in the world are all in Asia. 

Also, the more people there are, the more resources are being used. The Aral Sea in Central Asia, which has been used for years for irrigation, is now a fraction of the size it used to be.

• Pollution: Areas with a high concentration of people and industry may experience higher levels of air and water pollution.

• Habitat destruction: The destruction or alteration of natural habitats, such as forests and wetlands can be affected. Areas with a high population may have more development and land use, leading to habitat destruction.

• Biodiversity: The biodiversity of plants and animals is affected, for example, areas with a high population density may have fewer natural habitats and less biodiversity.

• Climate change: Human activities such as transportation and energy consumption contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, meaning areas with a higher population may have a greater impact on climate change.

🎥 Watch: AP HUG - Population Growth and Decline