Unit
1:
Population
Population
data-‐
2
main
sources
of
population
data:
National
census
and
vital
registration
Census-‐
enumeration
of
an
entire
population,
collecting
demographic,
social
and
economic
data
from
each
household
at
regular
intervals
on
a
specific
date.
A
census
is
usually
held
every
10
years.
• Includes
total
number
of
people
and
their
distribution,
population
structure
(age,
sex,
ethnic
origin,
marital
status,
household
size)
population
change
(birth
and
death
rates),
human
welfare
(unemployment
rates,
income,
housing
conditions)
• Primary
source
of
data
for
static
view
(snapshot)
of
population
and
social,
demographic
and
economic
conditions
at
particular
point
in
time
Vital
registration-‐
official
recording
of
all
births,
deaths,
marriages,
adoptions
and
civil
partnerships
• It
is
a
continuous
record
so
it
is
dynamic
(unlike
census
data)
Case
Study:
Comparing
how
data
is
collected,
reliability
and
what
it
is
used
for,
for
UK
and
Nigeria
Aim
for
both
is
to
gain
more
detailed
information,
to
plan
more
effectively,
to
increase
living
standards
(incl
def)
UK:
How
is
data
collected?
Last
census
27th
March
2011
• UK
split
into
enumeration
districts
(160-‐220
households)
• Census
enumerator
distributed
questionnaires
(35,000
staff,
25
million
questionnaires)
• Postal
return
or
online
return
(15%
in
2011)
UK:
Reliable?
ü Completion
is
legally
binding,
£1000
fine
for
not
completing,
ensures
95%
return
rate.
Confidentiality
is
assured,
encourages
everyone
to
do
it.
ü Provisions
made
for
people
with
visual
issues
(Braille
version
of
census)
and
language
barriers
with
a
helpline,
ensures
universal
completion
ü UK
undertakes
expensive
publicity
campaign
(total
census
cost
£480
million
in
2011)
increases
awareness
and
understanding
of
why
it
is
needed
and
important
ü A
birth
certificate
is
needed
(vital
reg.)
to
have
access
to
a
doctor,
education
and
passport
etc.
Incentive
to
register
(must
have
this
point)
v However,
some
people
are
excluded
e.g.
homeless,
travelling
community
so
it
is
inaccurate.
Also
5%
of
people
refused
to
fill
out
form
in
2011.
UK:
how
is
data
used?
Vital
reg.
used
to
update
previous
census
and
give
continuous
record
of
population.
Census
data
is
used
to
plan
for
hospitals,
schools,
nursing
homes,
jobs,
transport
etc.
Nigeria:
How
is
data
collected?
Last
census
2006,
2018
cancelled=
never
had
accurate
census
• Door
to
door
interviews
with
enumerators
filling
in
forms
• 2018
aimed
to
use
biometric
based
technology
to
increase
accuracy
and
used
satellites
to
photograph
80%
of
land
to
find
all
households
but
didn’t
have
resources
(£640
million)
and
it
was
cancelled.
Nigeria:
Reliable?
v Difficult
terrain
and
poor
infrastructure
means
some
communities
(rural)
left
out
when
door
to
door
interviews
conducted
e.g.
45,000
nomadic
people
left
out
in
2006.
Inadequate
prep.
Also
makes
it
hard
as
not
enough
forms
and
no
pay
for
enumerators
v In
Nigeria,
government
allocates
funding
and
political
power
based
on
population
size.
In
1952/53
census
figures
were
manipulated
in
favour
of
Muslim
north,
which
led
to
unreliable
census
(figures
overestimated)
and
unrest
in
East
v 250
languages
spoken-‐
census
enumerators
may
not
speak
language
of
a
area
or
are
illiterate
so
cannot
write
answers
down
in
the
language,
so
some
groups
omitted
v In
Muslim
north,
enumerators
can
only
interview
head
of
household
and
people
of
different
genders
cannot
interview
each
other
under
Sharia
law
so
may
not
be
included
v Urban
areas
have
higher
proportion
of
registrations
e.g.
Lagos,
as
offices
are
more
accessible.
In
rural
areas
people
are
less
willing
to
travel
so
less
are
registered.
In
2006
only
35%
registered
(must
have
this
point)
Nigeria:
How
is
data
used?
When
making
planning
decisions
and
spending
valuable
resources,
tried
to
set
targets
to
develop
e.g.
reduce
national
population
growth
to
2%
or
lower
by
2015,
achieve
25%
reduction
in
HIV/AIDS
adult
prevalence
every
5
years,
reduce
infant
mortality
rate
to
35
per
1000
by
2015.
Comparing
data
collection
and
reliability
of
data
between
MEDCs
and
LEDCs
(general)
, In
LEDCs
censuses
have
been
less
successful
in
terms
of
both
reliability
and
frequency.
Many
LEDCs
have
had
very
few
census
surveys
e.g.
Afghanistan,
Somalia
and
DRC.
Usually
due
to
government
instability,
weak
infrastructure
or
war.
A
big
problem
is
that
those
who
live
in
less
accessible
areas
are
under-‐represented.
MEDC
–ve
LEDC
-‐ve
v Use
UK
as
Ø In
many
LEDCs
first
census
occurred
during
colonial
times,
by
colonial
rulers
for
tax
example
collection,
subscription
to
army
or
info
about
subjects
so
are
seen
by
indigenous
v Collection
of
data
population
as
symbol
of
foreign
power
and
domination
e.g.
Nigeria
from
indigenous
Ø
Inaccuracy
of
census
info
often
an
attempt
to
gain
political
advantage
where
political
people
power,
parliamentary
seats
or
budget
allowances
are
determined
by
census
info
e.g.
problematic
e.g.
Pre-‐partitioned
India
(1914),
was
a
tendency
for
two
main
ethnic
groups
(Hindus
and
in
Australia,
Muslims)
to
exaggerate
numbers
as
commonly
believed
the
country
would
be
aborigines
are
partitioned
on
ethnic
lines
highly
mobile
so
Ø Age
misreporting-‐
may
not
have
birth
certificate
people
may
describe
themselves
as
more
census
takes
older
or
younger
to
fit
fertile
age
brand
e.g.
teenage
girls
or
older
women
or
where
needed
(1
per
10
status
is
associated
with
age
people
may
give
older
age
households)
than
Ø Transport
difficulties-‐
in
remote
rural
areas,
made
worse
by
seasonal
weather
patterns
non-‐indigenous
e.g.
monsoons
(Bangladesh)
means
in
some
places
people
are
omitted
areas
Ø Costs-‐
too
expensive
for
LEDCs
e.g.
Bangladesh.
2001
UK
census
cost
£225
billion,
2010
v In
Russia
in
2002
USA
census
cost
$11
billion
census
had
to
Ø Language
barriers-‐
in
Cameroon
30
major
language
groups
have
600,000
Ø In
northern
India
and
middle
east
male
enumerators
not
allowed
to
interview
woman
people
covering
leading
to
misrepresentation
11
time
zones
and
Ø Lack
of
stability-‐
e.g.
civil
war
results
in
census
being
postponed,
cancelled
or
80
regions
incomplete
Ø Nomadic
groups-‐
if
cross
international
boundaries/
have
no
fixed
abode
in
a
country
they
can
be
hard
to
find
e.g.
Bedouin
nomads
MEDC
+ve
LEDC
+ve
Use
UK
as
example
Use
Nigeria
as
example
Population
Change
Study
of
population
change
is
called
demography
and
involves
births
and
deaths
(fertility
and
mortality)
and
natural
population
change.
Natural
population
change-‐
the
growth
or
decline
in
population
caused
by
variations
in
fertility
and
mortality
(births
and
deaths)
Fertility-‐
measured
capacity
of
a
population
to
generate
births
(two
methods
below)
1. Crude
birth
rate-‐
total
number
of
live
births
per
1000
of
population
per
year
In
2018,
world
average
was
18
per
1000
live
births.
Over
40
births
per
1000=
high,
10-‐12
per
1000=
low.
Generally
MEDCs=
low
BR
and
LEDCs=
high
BR.
Good
technique
to
display
info
about
births
and
deaths
is
Choropleth
map
(skills).
Weakness
is
that
is
doesn’t
take
into
account
age
or
gender
composition
of
population.
However
it
is
simple,
widely
used
so
comparisons
can
be
made
easily
between
countries
or
regions.
Low
birth
rate
High
birth
rate
North
America,
Europe
some
of
Africa
Africa
and
Afghanistan
Puerto
Rico
(6.90),
Japan
(7.31)
Italy
(7.38)
Niger
(45.64)
Chad
(41.67)
Somalia
(41.59)
2. Total
fertility
rate-‐
number
of
children
a
woman
is
expected
to
have
during
her
lifetime,
based
on
current
birth
rates.
In
2018
average
was
2.4.
In
MEDCs
average
was
1.6
and
LEDCs
5.6.
For
population
to
replace
itself
needs
to
be
an
average
of
2.1
to
each
woman
to
allow
for
fact
that
some
children
will
die
before
reproducing
themselves.
One
of
best
indicators
for
future
population
growth.
Typically,
lower
use
of
contraceptives,
higher
the
TFR
and
the
higher
level
of
female
education,
lower
TFR.
Government
polices
also
impact
hugely
(see
1c)
Low
fertility
rates
High
fertility
rates
North
America,
Europe,
some
parts
of
Asia
Africa
and
Afghanistan
South
Korea
(1.09),
Taiwan
(1.17)
Puerto
Rico
(1.19)
Niger
(6.82)
Somalia
(5.98)
DRC
(5.82)
Mortality-‐
to
do
with
death
(two
methods
below)
1. Crude
death
rate-‐
total
number
of
deaths
per
1000
of
population
per
year
In
2018
average
was
8
deaths
per
1000
of
population/
year.
In
MEECS
average
is
6-‐14
and
LEDCs
is
10-‐30
deaths.
