Download MEDC population pyramid explanation

Explaining USA’s population pyramid:
Low birth rate indicated by a narrow base.
 Good levels of education regarding contraceptives e.g. knowledge of birth
control and availability of contraceptives, including a wide range such as
the pill, condoms, the coil etc.
 Equality of male and females. Females are well educated leading to
emancipation. They pursue careers meaning that they are likely to marry
later and have children later in life, reducing the amount of children that
she has.
 Children are seen as an economic burden. Costs of living is expensive as
the country is an MEDC and developed. Child labour laws prevent children
from working. Education, medical care etc can be expensive. Children are
not needed to look after their parents when they are older due to the
availability of state pensions.
 IMR is low therefore parents do not need lots of children to replace those
that die.
 Some people limit themselves to two children due to being
environmentally aware and see more children as being irresponsible as it
puts a pressure on resources and the environment.
 Not necessarily applies to USA: Governments are likely to intervene to
influence families to have more or fewer children (e.g. China’s one child
policy, Japan offerings a free care, money for more children, free child
care and health care, benefits involving maternity and paternity leave.
 Transportation networks are good so contraceptives are available all over
the country.
 Jobs are mainly in the tertiary sector, children are not needed to work for
parents e.g. on farms (linked to economic burden)
 Cultural traditions have eroded, leading to a need children.
 Abortion are available.
Low death rate / High life expectancy
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Excellent medical facilities e.g. good hospitals, low people per doctor ratio,
advances in medical science, possibly free medical care, good transport
enables easy access to hospitals, they are evenly spread throughout
Good food supplies, better diet (although malnutrition can exist),
knowledge and available balanced diet, can lead to a healthier life style.
Good levels of sanitation including sewage and most of the country have
access to clean water supplies, which prevents the spread diseases.
Children are vaccinated at an early age (Preventative medicine), also
curative medicine is available.
High GDP per capita, leads to many people affording private health
insurance.
Better housing, less chance of overcrowding, less chance of diseases
spreading.
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Pensions and free medical care available for the elderly which helps to
increase life expectancy.