Demographic Facts of Life
Using the table below, determine the percentage of annual increase and the population doubling times for each country.
| Percent annual natural increase | = | birth rate - death rate |
| 10 |
| Doubling time (in years) | = | 70 | ||
| rate of increase |
| Country | Birth Rate in 1991
(per 1000 people) |
Death Rate in 1991
(per 1000 people) |
Annual Natural Increase | Doubling Time (in years) |
| United States | 17 | 9 | ||
| Mexico | 29 | 6 | ||
| Japan | 10 | 7 | ||
| United Kingdom | 14 | 12 | ||
| China | 21 | 7 | ||
| India | 31 | 10 | ||
| Kenya | 46 | 7 | ||
| Russia | 18 | 10 | ||
| South Africa | 35 | 8 | ||
| Italy | 10 | 9 | ||
| Denmark | 12 | 12 |
Questions
1. Which countries have the highest growth rates? Which have the lowest?
2. What else do the countries with the highest growth rates have in common?
3. What do those with the lowest growth rates have in common?
4. What can we predict about the future population of the planet from these growth rates?