Population Distribution – SS1 Economics Lesson Note (Second Term)

Population distribution refers to how the population of a given country is distributed into certain categories such as age, sex, occupation and geographical distribution.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• explain population distribution;
• state the three main age groups and say which are dependent and which are working;
• list the economic effects of an increase in the population of dependants;
• list the factors that influence occupational distribution and the main occupational divisions;
• explain sex distribution and geographical distribution of population.

What is age distribution?

Age distribution is the breakdown of the population of a particular country into age groups. It varies from country to country and is derived from population census figures. The population of a country can be divided into the following age groups:

1. 0-17 years: infants, children and pupils in nursery, primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. This age group is called the dependent population.
2. 18-60 years: popularly referred to as the active population, working population or labour force (independent population).
3. 60 years and above: old age (dependent population).

In summary, the age distribution of any given population can be grouped as follows:

What are the economic effects of an increase in the population of dependants?

1. There will be a high demand for goods and services required by the dependent population.
2. Imports will increase.
3. Government expenditure will increase.
4. There will be a fall in the standard of living.
5. There will be low savings and low investments.

What is occupational distribution?

The occupational distribution of a population is the classification of the working population into the different types of work they engage in. It is influenced by several factors. These include:

1. The level of education
2. Availability of natural resources
3. The level of technology
4. The types of productive activities

Occupations as a whole can be classified into four major divisions, namely: extractive, manufacturing and construction, commercial, and direct and indirect services.

What is sex distribution of the population?

Sex distribution of population is the classification of the population according to sex or gender (that is, male and female).

It can easily be obtained from a population census of a given country, which shows the total number of males and the total number of females.

Knowledge of the total number of males and females in a country assists the government in making the necessary plans to cater for the population.

What is geographical distribution of population?

The geographical distribution of a given population refers to how people are spread over a given geographical area in terms of where they live.

In Nigeria, for example, the population is not equally spread. Some areas are highly populated while others are poorly populated.

Evaluation

1. What is population distribution?
2. Name the three age groups of a population and state which of them are dependent.
3. State three economic effects of an increase in the population of dependants.
4. List the factors that influence occupational distribution.
5. Why is knowledge of sex distribution useful to a government?

Assignment

1. List the four major divisions of occupations.
2. Explain geographical distribution of population, using Nigeria as an example.