5.6 - Population Composition

Population composition refers to the structure or makeup of the population in terms of various factors such as age, gender, education, occupation, and other social and economic characteristics. Understanding population composition is essential for analyzing the development of a country and planning for its future growth. In this section, we will focus on the important aspects that define population composition.

Age Composition

Age composition is the distribution of a population across different age groups. It helps in understanding the dependency ratio, which is the ratio of dependents (young and elderly) to the working-age population. The age structure can be divided into three broad categories:

• Young population: Age group 0-14 years.
• Working population: Age group 15-59 years.
• Old-age population: Age group 60 years and above.

The population pyramid is often used to represent the age composition of a population. A pyramid-shaped graph with a broad base indicates a young population, whereas a narrow base suggests an aging population. The dependency ratio is calculated as:

$\text{Dependency Ratio} = \dfrac{(\text{Population aged 0-14 years} + \text{Population aged 60 years and above})}{\text{Population aged 15-59 years}} \times 100$

Sex Composition

Sex composition refers to the distribution of the population based on gender. It is typically represented by the sex ratio, which is the number of females per 1,000 males in a given population. The sex ratio can be calculated as:

$\text{Sex Ratio} = \dfrac{\text{Number of females}}{\text{Number of males}} \times 1000$

A higher number of females compared to males indicates a more balanced or female-biased sex ratio, while a male-biased sex ratio shows a higher number of males. Gender imbalances can result from cultural, social, or economic factors, and they have implications for gender equality and women's empowerment.

Literacy Composition

Literacy composition refers to the percentage of people who are able to read and write in a particular language or languages. Literacy is often divided into male and female literacy rates, and it is an important indicator of social development. The literacy rate is calculated as:

$\text{Literacy Rate} = \dfrac{\text{Number of literate persons}}{\text{Total population}} \times 100$

A higher literacy rate generally correlates with better socio-economic development and can impact various aspects of human life, such as employment, income, health, and quality of life.

Occupational Composition

Occupational composition refers to the distribution of the population based on the type of work people do. It is categorized into:

• Primary sector: Agriculture, mining, fishing, etc.
• Secondary sector: Manufacturing, construction, etc.
• Tertiary sector: Services, trade, banking, healthcare, education, etc.

The distribution of the working population across these sectors indicates the level of development of a country. In developing countries, a larger portion of the population may be engaged in the primary sector, whereas in developed countries, most people work in the tertiary sector.

Rural-Urban Composition

Rural-urban composition refers to the distribution of the population in rural and urban areas. It reflects the level of urbanization in a country. Urban areas generally offer better opportunities for employment, education, healthcare, and living standards, while rural areas may be more focused on agriculture and traditional occupations. The rural-urban ratio can be calculated as:

$\text{Rural-Urban Ratio} = \dfrac{\text{Rural population}}{\text{Urban population}}$

Changes in the rural-urban composition are driven by factors like migration, industrialization, and urbanization.