Download Population and Economic Growth

Measuring Population
Every 10 years the government takes a
census
Urban Population – people living in
places with more than 2,500
inhabitants
Rural Population – people living
outside of urban populations
Historical Growth
 From 1790 to 1860 population was growing
around 3 percent a year
 From beginning of the Civil war to 1900 the
rate dropped to 2 percent a year
 From 1900 to WWII the rate fell to 1.4
percent
 From WWII to now the rate has been
around 1 percent
Regional Change
Since the 1970s the North and East
have slowed in population growth
Warmer and more spacious parts of
the country have increased in
growth rate
The center of population has
consistently shifted west
Center of Population 1790-2000
Questions
1. What effect does a growing population
have on GDP and GNP? Why is it
better to measure both numbers per
capita?
2. What impact does the shifting of the
center of population have on the
economy?
Projected Trends
Baby Boomers – people born from
1946 to 1964 make up a sizable portion
of the population
When baby boomers retire they will
place a large burden on entitlements
and the dependency ration will
change
Population Pyramid
Projected Trends cont.
Race and Ethnicity –
The portions of
most minority
groups are projected
to rise, with the
Hispanic population
growing by the
largest percent
Population Growth
Fertility rate – tracked by births
per 1,000 women. Current rate is
1,900
Life expectancy – 78.8 years
Net immigration – just over
1,000,000 per year
Questions
3. Why do we care about projecting
population growth?
4. What can figures like fertility rate,
life expectancy, and net
immigration tell us about the
future of our economy?