Geography (9696)
Topic 3 of 3Cambridge A Levels

Population & Migration

Population change, demographic transition, migration patterns

Population change = (births − deaths) + (immigration − emigration). Natural increase = births − deaths only.


Demographic Transition Model (DTM):

  • Stage 1: High BR, high DR → low growth (pre-industrial)
  • Stage 2: High BR, falling DR → rapid growth (better healthcare, improved sanitation)
  • Stage 3: Falling BR, low DR → slower growth (urbanisation, education, contraception)
  • Stage 4: Low BR, low DR → stable (developed nations)
  • Stage 5: BR below DR → declining (ageing population, e.g., Japan, Germany)

  • Population pyramids: Triangular = young, growing (Stage 2-3). Columnar = stable (Stage 4). Inverted = ageing (Stage 5).


    Migration:

  • Push factors: Poverty, conflict, persecution, environmental disaster
  • Pull factors: Employment, safety, education, healthcare, family reunification
  • Consequences: Source country loses working-age people (brain drain) but gains remittances. Host country gains labour but faces social integration challenges.

  • Population policies: China's former one-child (anti-natalist), France's family benefits (pro-natalist), Singapore's "Stop at Two" then reversal.

    Key Points to Remember

    • 1Natural increase = births − deaths
    • 2DTM 5 stages: high-high → low-declining
    • 3Push factors repel, pull factors attract migrants
    • 4Brain drain vs remittances for source countries

    Pakistan Example

    Pakistan's Diaspora and Remittances — Migration Economics

    Over 9 million Pakistanis live abroad (UAE, Saudi Arabia, UK, USA). Push: limited jobs, low wages. Pull: higher salaries, better opportunities. Remittances exceed $30 billion/year — Pakistan's largest foreign exchange source. But brain drain of doctors and engineers creates shortages domestically.

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