Population

Population is the source of labour and the destination of demand. How many people a country has, and how those people are split between children, working-age adults, and the elderly, drives the size of the workforce, the level of consumer spending, the burden on public services, and the demands on the natural environment.

This topic looks at:

• how population is measured (birth, death, migration and dependency rates),
• why these rates differ between countries,
• the consequences of a rising or a falling population,
• the consequences of an ageing population and of changes in the gender balance,
• and how government policy can influence birth rates and migration.