Population+Pyramids


 * Allison Info **



Demographics is the study of population. Canada’s population is continuously increasing. We can see this increase over the years by examining Canada's population and settlement patterns over the years  In 1871 there were 3.6 million Canadians.  In 1911 there were over 7 million.  In 2004 there were over 31 million people living in Canada.  This population change includes births, deaths, and migration. People who study demographics are interested not only in how big a population is, but also how many people there are in each age group.

Population Pyramids
 A simple way to understand the population of an area is to make and read a population pyramid. Population pyramids are divided up according to age. Access this population pyramid from Statistics Canada. It is animated.  We will use the Statistics Canada website to explore population pyramids.  When looking at any population pyramid, there are some basics to keep in mind...  The male information is on the left hand side.  The female information is on the right.  The numbers across the bottom are percentages or total numbers.  The numbers up the middle are age groups. This is the age distribution.

 Here is the data put into a population period for Canada for the year 1996:  1996

 Ages; 70+; Male; 6.9%; Female; 10.0%; <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Ages; 65-69; Male; 3.7%; Female; 4.0% <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Ages; 60-64; Male; 4.1%; Female; 4.2%; <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Ages; 55-59; Male; 4.5%; Female; 4.5% <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Ages; 50-54; Male; 5.7%; Female; 5.5%; <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Ages; 45-49; Male; 7.3%; Female; 7.2% <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Ages; 40-44; Male; 8.1%; Female; 8.0%; <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Ages; 35-39; Male; 8.9%; Female; 8.8% <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Ages; 30-34; Male; 8.6%; Female; 8.5%; <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Ages; 25-29; Male; 7.1%; Female; 7.0% <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Ages; 20-24; Male; 6.7%; Female; 6.5%; <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Ages; 13-19; Male; 7.1%; Female; 6.5% <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Ages; 10-14; Male; 7.2%; Female; 6.3%; <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Ages; 5-9; Male; 7.2%; Female; 6.6% <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Ages; 0-4; Male; 6.9%; Female; 6.4%

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">This video should help clarify some things....I hope! media type="youtube" key="sSoSYm4AOls" height="385" width="640" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSoSYm4AOls

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">How did they collect this information?

 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">In Canada we have a census every five years (in all years ending in 1 or 6). Every household in the country fills out a questionnaire on Census Day. Personal information, like names, is never used; personal information is gathered to ensure everyone is only counted once. ||


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Most of the information collected is for determining numbers. The government uses computers to add up how many people are living in Canada, or in a part of Canada. They add up the numbers of people of the same age to create the data used in population pyramids. These numbers are called statistics, which is why the name of the government agency that collects and organizes these numbers is Statistics Canada. ||  ||

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">What does it all mean?
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> As demographers, we could use population pyramids to predict the needs for services in our area by looking at things like: > health care needs > shelter needs > size of the work force compared to those in the workforce over age 65 > job opportunities for younger Canadians > pension plans
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">consumer patterns

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Questions <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 29px;">1. Write the details of your age group and sex within the Canadian population. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">2. What single age group and sex represents the largest percentage of Canada’s population? <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">3. What is the 10-year age group that contains the largest percentage of the population. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">4. What percentage of Canada’s population is male and what percentage is female? (Add the percentages for each sex.) <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">5. Write in the percentage for males and females age 65 and over. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">6. a) Populations are frequently divided into two categories: people who are of working-age (15-64) and people who are not of working age (under 15; 65 and over). Using the data above, give the percentage for each category in 1996.