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Its narrower bottom part reflects the smaller numbers the ongoing immigration of adult workers to meet their
of young people as a result of China’s strict birth-con- need for low-skilled labor. Most of these immigrant
trol policies. Population will gradually age in slow- workers are young men, so these countries’ population
growth countries. Meeting the health care needs of a pyramids show an unusually large bulge on the male
growing elderly population is an important challenge side, as illustrated by Oman’s population pyramid in
to those governments. Figure 8.7.
Local areas usually don’t have a balanced age-sex
Stability When a country’s population is stable — that structure, so their population pyramids can look even
is, when its birth rate and death rate are similar — and more extreme. For example, Sun City, Arizona, is an
population growth approaches zero, its population active adult community that requires its residents
pyramid will have a fairly even distribution across all to be at least 55 years old. Its population pyramid in
cohorts. The U.S. population is still growing, but at a Figure 8.7 reflects its elderly population. Overland
very slow pace. Its population pyramid, shown in Fig- Park, Kansas, is a typical suburban community, full
ure 8.7, looks more like a precariously balanced pillar. of families with young children at home — hence one
Also note that in the advanced age cohorts, the male bulge in the young age cohorts and another bulge in
side is narrower than the female side because women the middle-age range, as shown in Figure 8.7. Finally,
live longer than men. Lawrence, Kansas, is a college town, home to the
University of Kansas. Its population pyramid shows the
Decline The population pyramid for a declining pop- high proportion of college-age people.
ulation has a very narrow base or appears top heavy. In this Module, we discussed the importance of learn-
For example, Spain’s population pyramid in Figure ing about the age-sex structure of a population. The age
8.7 reveals a low birth rate and negative population structure affects future population growth, labor sup-
growth. This population decline is also occurring in ply, consumption patterns, economic development, and
other developed countries, including Japan, Germa- dependency ratios. A country with a young population
ny, Russia, and several countries in eastern Europe. will face very different opportunities and challenges
These countries may experience population aging, than one with an aging population. Identifying gener-
labor shortage, and declining demands for consumer ations that share common cultural traits and values is
goods and services. a useful way of looking at the population structure and
may help us predict economic and social trends in the
Unusually Shaped Population future. The sex ratio is another important structural
Pyramids aspect of a population. Cultural preferences for males,
gender-selective migration, and war may cause an
Some population pyramids have an atypical or unusu- unbalanced sex ratio that can have serious social con-
al shape due to certain events, policies, or trends that sequences. Population pyramids illustrate the age-sex
changed the age-sex structure drastically. For example, structure of populations, and their shapes reveal much
several Persian Gulf states, such as Qatar, the United about the demographic characteristics of a country
Arab Emirates, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, have allowed or place.

32 Unit 2 Population and Migration Patterns and Process
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