HUMAN POPULATIOn

INTRODUCTION
population, in human biology, the whole number of inhabitants occupying an
area (such as a country or the world) and continually being modified by
increases (births and immigrations) and losses (deaths and emigrations). As
with any biological population, the size of a human population is limited by
the supply of food, the effect of diseases, and other environmental factors.
Human populations are further affected by social customs governing
reproduction and by the technological developments, especially in medicine
and public health, that have reduced mortality and extended the life span.
Few aspects of human societies are as fundamental as the size, composition,
and rate of change of their populations. Such factors affect economic
prosperity, health, education, family structure, crime patterns, language,
culture—indeed, virtually every aspect of human society is touched upon by
population trends. The study of human populations is called demography.
 EXPLAINATION
What is Human Population?
“Human population refers to the number of individuals in a particular
area.”
The term human population simply would be the number of people
thriving in a specific area which could range from a village to the
world usually. Additionally, the term is used to describe the
inhabitants also but in most cases, the term would mean numbers.
Since the origin of human, on this planet earth , the population
throught the world and in India (particularly), has been rising at an
alarming rate. This is by far the most serious problem the world is
facing today and if not solved, will lead to grave consequences in
future.
 Objectives of Population Education
Objectives of Population Education are: Population education has been introduced into
school and college curriculum. It aimed at making the student aware of the:
1.It helps to understand how family size can be controlled as population limitation can
facilitate the development of a higher quality of life in the nation.

2.To develop an understanding of the influence of population trends on the various aspects
of human life – social, cultural, political and economic;

3.It helps to understand that a small family size can contribute materially to the quality of
living for the individual family.

4.To develop an understanding of scientific and medical advancement enabling to get an

increasing control over famines, diseases and ultimately death.

5.Consequences of uncontrolled population growth such as environmental population,

depletion of natural resources, extinction of species etc.
 Measures to achieve these objectives :

• Population education should be part of school curriculum.

•Creating awareness about contraceptives and providing wider and affordable
choice of contraceptives for both men and women to enable them to take
informed choices.
•Facilities for safe abortion should be strengthened and expanded.
•Avoid coercive family planning methods and adopt methods like tax
incentives, Insurance benefits to incentivize and promote small family norm.
•Increasing female literacy is the best contraception to check the population
growth. According to Sample registration system of RGI, Bihar has the highest
percentage of illiterate women (26.8%) and highest fertility rate (3.2)
whereas Kerala has the lowest percentage of illiterate women (0.7%) and one
of the lowest TFR of 1.7.
 Demography

The word ‘Demography’ is a combination of two Greek words, ‘Demos’

meaning people and ‘Graphy’ meaning science. Thus demography is the
science of people. The Oxford Dictionary of Economics defines demography
as “The study of the characteristics of human populations.” According
to the UN Multilingual Demographic Dictionary, “Demography is the scientific
study of human populations, primarily with respect to their size, their
structure and their development.” These broad definitions take into view not
only the size, composition and distribution of population and changes in them
in the long run but also imply human migration and change in the status of
population through education, employment, social status, etc.
Demography deals with three aspects:
 Changes in population, i.e. growth or decline
 Composition of the population, i.e. age groups, male/female sex ratios.
 Distribution of population in space.
 Importance of Demography:

With the majority of developing countries facing population explosion, the study of
population and its problems has become very important in every sphere of an economy. We
discuss them below:
(1) For the Economy:
The study of demography is of immense importance to an economy. Population studies help
us to know how far the growth rate of the economy is keeping pace with the growth rate of
population. If population is increasing at a faster rate, the pace of development of the
economy will be slow. The government can undertake appropriate measures to control the
growth of population and to accelerate the development of the economy .
(2) For Society:
Population studies have much importance for the society. When population is increasing
rapidly, the society is faced with innumerable problems. Shortages of basic services like
water, electricity, transport and communications, public health, education, etc. arise. Along
with these, problems of migration and urbanization are associated with the growing
population which further lead to the law and order problem. Faced with such problems which
are the concomitant result of population growth, the state and non-government social
organizations can adopt appropriate measures to solve them.
(3) For Economic Planning:
Data relating to the present trend in population growth help the planners in formulating
policies for the economic plan of the country. They are kept in view while fixing targets of
agricultural and industrial products, of social and basic services like schools and other
educational institutions, hospitals, houses, electricity, transport, etc. Population data are also
used by the planners to project future trends in fertility and to formulate policy measures to
control the birth rate.
(4) For Administrators:
Population studies are also useful for administrators who run the government. In under-
developed countries, almost all social and economic problems are associated with the growth
of population. The administrator has to tackle and find solutions to the problems arising from
the growth of population. They are migration and urbanization which lead to the coming up of
shanty towns, pollution, drainage, water, electricity, transport, etc. in cities.
(5) For Political System:
The knowledge of demography is of immense importance for a democratic political system. It
is on the basis of the census figures pertaining to different areas that the demarcation of
constituencies is done by the election commission of a country. The addition to the number of
voters after each election helps to find out how many have migrated from other places and
regions of the country.
Political parties are able to find out from the census data the number of male and female
voters, their level of education, their age structure, their level of earning, etc.
 Population Dynamics

The population dynamics is a description (and prediction) of the size and age
composition of a group of individuals of one particular species, and how the
number and age composition of individuals in a population change over time.
To describe the population dynamics, there are four key factors that need to
be considered: birth, death, immigration, and emigration of
individuals. Population dynamics overlaps with and relates to the research
area of epidemiology: the study of how infectious disease is affecting
populations. the quantitative variations in the population size and density are
called as population dynamics. The description of a population requires three
parameters:
a) Number and kind of individuals
b) A given space or area
c) A given time.
i. Population Size
The most fundamental demographic parameter is the number of individuals within a
population size is defined as the number of individuals present in a subjectively designated
geographic range. Despite the simplicity in its concept, locating all individuals during a
census.
ii. Population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It
is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term. Population
density is the number of people per unit of area, usually transcribed as "per square kilometer" or square mile, and
which may include or exclude, for example, areas of water or glaciers. Commonly this is calculated for a county, city,
country, another territory or the entire world.

iii. Age Structure

The age structure of a population is the distribution of people of various ages. It is a useful tool for
social scientists, public health and health care experts, policy analysts, and policy-makers because it
illustrates population trends like rates of births and deaths. They have a host of social and economic
implications in society, like understanding the resources that must be allocated for child care,
schooling, and health care, and the familial and greater social implications of whether there are more
children or elderly in society.

iv. Sex ratio

Sex ratio is used to describe the number of females per 1000 of males. Sex ratio is a valuable source for
finding the population of women in India and what is the ratio of women to that of men in India. Census
 Factors Affecting
Population dynamics depends upon many Population
factors. The most important are birth or natality rate , death
or mortality rate, immigration, emigration and environmental factors such as food, shelter, natural
calamities. Biotic factors such as pathogens, poisonous animals and ferocious mammals also affect
population. Four pillar of population are:

Birth Rate: The Influx of New Lives:- The birth rate, often expressed as the number of births per
1,000 individuals per year, is the measure of how many new individuals are added to a population. A
high birth rate contributes to population growth, while a low birth rate leads to slower growth or even
population decline. Numerous factors can influence a birth rate. Access to healthcare and family
planning, cultural and religious norms, economic conditions, and education levels, especially for women,
all play significant roles.

Death Rate: The Natural Departure:-Conversely, the death rate, or the number of deaths per 1,000
individuals per year, measures the rate at which individuals exit a population. Advances in medical
technology, sanitation, nutrition, and access to clean water have significantly reduced death rates
globally. However, factors like disease outbreaks, wars, famine, and natural disasters can cause death
rates to spike.

Immigration: The Arrival from Elsewhere:-Immigration refers to the movement of individuals into a
population from other locations. Immigrants add to the existing population, thus contributing to
population growth in their new location. Push and pull factors influence immigration rates. Push factors
include unfavorable conditions in the individual’s original location, such as poverty, political instability,
or lack of opportunity.
 Population Growth
Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population or dispersed group. The global population
has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to 8.2 billion in 2025. Actual global human population growth amounts to around 70
million annually, or 0.85% per year. As of 2024, The United Nations projects that global population will peak in the mid-
2080s at around 10.3 billion. The UN's estimates have decreased strongly in recent years due to sharp declines in
global birth rates. Others have challenged many recent population projections as having underestimated population
growth. The world human population has been growing since the end of the Black Death, around the year 1350. A mix
of technological advancement that improved agricultural productivity and sanitation and medical advancement that
reduced mortality increased population growth. In some geographies, this has slowed through the process called the
demographic transition, where many nations with high standards of living have seen a significant slowing of population
growth. This is in direct contrast with less developed contexts, where population growth is still happening. Globally, the
rate of population growth has declined from a peak of 2.2% per year in 1963.
Growth rate models

The "population growth rate" is the rate at which the number of individuals in a population increases in a given time
period, expressed as a fraction of the initial population. Specifically, population growth rate refers to the change in
population over a unit time period, often expressed as a percentage of the number of individuals in the population at
the beginning of that period. This can be written as the formula, valid for a sufficiently small time interval:

POPULATION GROWTH RATE= P(t2) - P(t1)

P(t1)(t2 - t1)
 Natural Control of Population
Biotic Potential: Growth
The biotic potential is the potential for life, or how fast a species reproduces when not limited
by its environment. The biotic potential is the potential ability or the inherent power of a
population to increase in number when the age distribution in the population is stable and all
the environmental conditions are optimum. It is also called reproductive potential.

Carrying Capacity:
The carrying capacity of a biological species in an environment is the maximum population
size of the species that the environment can sustain indefinitely, given the food, habitat,
water, and other necessities available in the environment. The carrying capacity of any area
is not static. It may be lowered by resource destruction and degradation during an overshoot
period or extended through technological and social changes.

Environmental resistance:
Environmental resistance is such a process in which certain different elements or factors stop
the growth of species uncontrollably. Nature employs certain different factors to regulate the
growth of species to minimize the excessive growth of population or overpopulation.
Environmental resistance is the sum of environmental limiting factors that include both
abiotic and biotic factors. Both abiotic and biotic factors work together to stop the biotic
potential of an organism.
 Population Growth
J – Shaped Curve: Curves
In the case of J-shaped growth form, the population grows exponentially, and after attaining the peak
value, the population may abruptly crash. This increase in population is continued till large amount of
food materials exist in the habitat.

S – Shaped or Sigmoid Curve:

When a few organisms are introduced in an area, the population increase is very slow in the
beginning, i.e., positive acceleration phase or lag phase, in the middle phase, the population increase
becomes very rapid, i.e., logarithmic phase, and finally in the last phase the population increase is
slowed down, i.e., negative acceleration phase, until an equilibrium is attained around which the
population size fluctuates according to variability of environment.
 Population
There has been a rapid growth ofExplosion
the human population in the last century due to the
difference in the birth rate and the mortality rates. In the next one decade, the population of
the world is expected to grow by another billion. The impact of uncontrolled population
growth impacts not just a section of the society, but the entire population suffers from its
infinite impact on the economy and the environment. With an understanding of the
population growth patterns, we can try to understand the contributing factors and how to
prepare for the future.
‘’World population growth is 2 persons every second; 200000 people everyday; 8
million every month; and 70 million every year. The high rate of population
growth is often referred to as population explosion’’.
The human overpopulation or population explosion is caused when the ecological footprint of
humans in a particular region crosses the actual carrying limit of the place with regards to
space and the resources available. A place is considered to be overpopulated if the existing
population in the area can no longer be maintained due to the constant depletion of the non-
renewable resources or the natural resources leading to a degradation of the environment.
However, a change in the lifestyle and the consumption and the use of renewable resources
can help reverse the effects of population explosion without an actual or substantial decrease
in the population. Today, the rate of population has reached a point such that the population
doubles in about 35 years. Accordingly, the world population is likely to be 50 billion in 2100
 Causes of Population Explosion
Technological advancement has been a major contributor to the high growth rate of
population. With the improvement in technology the quality of life improved and so did the
population in every phase of advancement. The initial tool making revolution helped the
primitive hunters to not only provide more food but also give the security that a family needs
against external predators and climatic conditions to sustain. This was followed by the
agricultural revolution in which the hunter and the food gatherer turned into a farmer and
lived in settlements. With the onset of the industrial revolution and the use of machinery and
fertilizers, there was an abundance of food which further helped in enhancing the growth of
population.
With the improvement of medical facilities and the eradication of many diseases, human
population thrived as the mortality rates dropped and the birth rates increased. With the
invention of the contraceptives, there was a significant decline in the population growth in
the developed countries. However, in the poorer countries where the women had no
knowledge of birth control or had no means to access any form of contraception the
population continued to grow. Economic backwardness has now become one of the main
factors that have lead to an increasing population.
Another contributing factor to the increasing population is the higher life expectancy of the
aged population. Although the birth rate may have declined the mortality rates have also
declined significantly due to the availability of better medical facilities. This has also led to a
growing concern as the major population in many countries has started aging and the
 Effects of population explosion
The effect of population explosion is multi-layered. It not only impacts the environment and the
availability of resources but it also impacts the health of individuals within the population. Natural
resources are depleting constantly with the increasing demand and consumption. Fossil fuel which is the
primary source of energy that drives the technology-driven world is fast depleting. Which poses a very
important question on what do we depend on once this natural resource has exhausted. Although there
is growing awareness on the use of renewable energy like biofuels, solar, wind and tidal energy and
others there is still a long way to go where these renewable resources can actually replace the use of
fossil fuels.
With the increasing population and the rising demand, there is an increased level in the air, water and
soil pollution. This is not only impacting the lives of humans but has also affected the lives of many
animals resulting in the endangering of many species and the extinction of many. The high levels of
pollution have resulted in contamination of water and soil that has rendered many patches of land and
water bodies unfit for use. Drinking water is fast becoming inadequate to support the needs of millions
of people. With the increase the demand for crops to meet the global food requirements there has been
an increase in deforestation to provide for agricultural land. This has led to a significant contraction in
the biodiversity of many regions. Deforestation, on the other hand, has serious repercussions on the
climatic condition of the planet. It leads to an increased level of carbon dioxide which is one of the
contributing factors to global warming.
Apart from the environmental effects there is a huge socio-economic impact as the Countries resources
become inadequate to support the needs of a growing population. Countries with high population have
high unemployment percentages as well which means that a greater number of people live in poverty,
incapable to support the needs for sanitation and health care. It not only means Malnutrition but it also
 Main Reasons for Rise in World Human
MedicalPopulation
System
You can imagine how different things were 100 years ago when it comes to treating medical issues people experienced.
The technology, the capacity, and above all, the availability of the medical system for the general public, has changed
drastically, and for the better. This had one direct impact on the global population because of the decline in the death
rate. Numerous diseases that existed before are now gone. Some others appeared, but the incredible amount of
discoveries in the medical field has improved the quality of life for people on Earth.
Infant Mortality Rate
We might argue that this economic system has many flaws and that poverty is still a huge issue. Still, things have
changed, to a certain extent, when compared with some of the earlier periods in history. Back in the day, because of the
reasons we will touch right after this one, families were much bigger, and it was not unusual to have 5 or 10 kids.
However, the infant mortality rate was higher because of it. Parents could simply not take care of so many children, and
yet more kids were born.
Family Planning
Today, in many ways, similar to before, families are often not planned. There are an incredible amount of reasons for
that, but we will focus on sexual education and topics that address contraception. It seems that, despite medical
advancements, there is still not enough talk about the importance of family planning. It is an enormous responsibility to
decide to create another human being. But, without contraception, it is also one of the easiest things you can do if your
reproductive systems are in check. As the population of this planet grew larger, the number of people who are not
educated on these matters has also gone up.
 Population In
The trend to rise of population in India is as alarming as in the rest of world. Population of undivided

India
India was 238 million in 1901, which increased to 350 million at the time of partition in 1947, crossed 1
billion mark in may 2000. it was 1.21 billion in 2011 and 1.22 billion in 2012 and now the current
population of India in 2014 has reached over 1,270272,105 (i.e.,1.27 billion) with about 51 births per
minute. It means, every sixth person in the world is an Indian. India’s population grew five times in last
100 years. Projections are that India will have 1.6 billion(1,613.8 million) people by 2050.Thus, India
will become world’s most populous country. Since 1951, the growth rate has been very high. The ten-
years interval statics during the APPROXIMATE
last 110 years is as follows: APPROXIMATE
YEAR POPULATION OF INDIA YEAR POPULATION OF INDIA
(IN MILLIONS) ( IN MILLIONS)
1915 260 1975 623.1
1925 276 1985 784.36
1935 304 1995 963.92
1945 344 2005 1,147.61
1955 409.88 2015 1,310.15
1965 499.12 2025 1,454.60
 Reasons for High Population Growth in
i.
India
Longer Lifespan: Life expectancy in India has increased from 34 years in 1901 to 65 years in
2001, contributing to population growth.
ii. Advancement in Agriculture: Improved agricultural practices and high-yield crops have increased
food production, ensuring food availability even in drought conditions.
iii. Facilities for Storage of Food: Better storage and transport facilities have mitigated famine-like
conditions.
iv. Government Efforts: Public distribution systems and maintenance of reserve food stocks have
helped ensure food supply.
v. Control on Epidemics: Control of epidemics has increased the average lifespan.
vi. Religious Beliefs: Traditional beliefs in some communities do not encourage the adoption of small
family norms.
vii.Lack of Education: Lack of female literacy hinders awareness of the benefits of smaller
families. Educated persons understand the importance of spacing children, 2-children norm, their
proper education and unbringing .
viii.Early Marriages: Despite bans, early marriage is still practiced in villages, leading to more
births. This result in the birth of more but unhealthy children.
ix. Poor Access to Contraceptive Services: Limited access to contraceptives in remote areas results
in unwanted births.

x. Decline in Death Rate: due to better healthcare, reduced Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and
reduced Infant Mortality rate (IMR), there has been a steady decline in death rate.
 Consequences of
Overpopulation
i. Food Scarcity: Increasing demand for food cannot be met by the growing population.
ii. Pressure on Land: Increased population demands more land for housing, industries, and
agriculture.
iii. Natural Resources: Excessive consumption of natural resources leads to their degradation.
iv. Pollution: Population growth has caused land, air, and water pollution.
v. Sanitation: It is not possible to maintain sanitation in congested areas like urban slums.
vi. Deforestation: Large-scale deforestation and soil erosion have increased due to land demands.
vii.Slums : rising population results in the growth of slums in big cities.
viii.Unemployment: Population growth results in unemployment, particularly in slums.
ix. Lack of Educational Facilities and Job Opportunities: Increased population strains educational
facilities and job opportunities.

x. Standard of Living : Overpopulation leads to shortage of essential goods, thereby resulting in

shortage and price rise.
 Population Control
Planned control focuses on reducing the birth rate through various methods:
•Population education: Educating people, especially those of reproductive age,
about the advantages of small families and the disadvantages of large families.
•Reaching remote areas: Disseminating information about population issues to
people in remote areas.
•Raising marriageable age: Enforcing the legal marriage age of 18 for girls and 21
for boys.
•Modifying orthodox views: Changing the traditional preference for having at least
one son through education.
•Family planning education: Educating couples to delay the birth of their first
child, space births, and limit the number of children.
•Government efforts: The Indian government has been promoting voluntary family
planning for the last 25 years.
•Contraceptive methods: Encouraging the use of family planning methods and
Temporary Contraceptive Methods
•Safe period: Avoiding Intercourse a week before and after menstruation.
•Coitus interruptus: Withdrawal before ejaculation.
•Abstinence: Avoiding sexual activity.
•Chemical methods (spermicides): Using foams, jellies, pastes, or creams in the vagina before
intercourse.
•Oral pills: Medications like Mala-N and Mala-D to prevent the release of eggs.
•Mechanical barriers: Using condoms or intrauterine devices (IUDs) like Copper T.

•Permanent/Surgical Methods

•Sterilization: Permanent birth control through vasectomy (cutting and ligating vas deferens) in men
and tubectomy (cutting and ligating fallopian tubes) in women.

Catastrophic events :

•Natural disasters: Events like droughts, heavy rains, floods, fires, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions,
hurricanes, and tornadoes can cause deaths and destroy resources.
•Environmental change: Drastic changes in the environment can destabilize or eliminate populations.
 SUMMARY
The global human population, which reached 8 billion in November 2022, is projected to continue
growing, though at a slower rate than in the past. While the population will continue to increase, the
rate of growth is slowing down, with the UN projecting a peak of 10.4 billion by 2080. This slowdown is
primarily attributed to lower fertility rates, although mortality rates have also decreased on average.

Historical Growth: The global population reached 1 billion around 300,000 years ago, and only 218
more years later reached 8 billion. The highest growth rates occurred between 1955 and 1975, peaking
at 2.1% per year.

•Current Growth Rate: The annual global population growth rate is around 0.85%, with an estimated
70 million people added annually.
•Future Projections: The UN projects the global population to reach a peak of around 10.3 billion in
the mid-2080s. While the population is still increasing, the growth rate is expected to continue
decreasing.
•Factors Influencing Growth: Fertility rates, mortality rates, and migration patterns all play a role in
population growth.
•Impact of Population Growth: Population growth can have significant impacts on the environment,
including increased resource consumption and strain on infrastructure.
•Demography: The study of human populations is called demography, which examines various aspects
like birth rates, death rates, and migration patterns.