Birth rate A measure of the number of births in a population, usually expressed in births per 1000 people per year. As of 2022, the lowest birth rate is in South Korea has where it is just 6.89 (the micro-state of Monaco has a figure of 6.63). The highest is in Niger, where it is 47.3.

Census An official count of a country’s population, usually carried out every 10 years. It may also collect other data, such as the religion and income of households.

City A large, important town. Every country has a capital city, generally where its government is based. Other cities have grown up around ports and industries.

Culture The way of life of a particular society of people, including their beliefs, values, customs, dress and language.

Death rate A measure of the number of deaths in a population, usually expressed in deaths per 1000 people per year. It is also known as mortality rate. As of 2022, the highest death rate is in Bulgaria, where it is 15.4. The lowest is in Qatar, where it is 1.2.

Demography The study of human populations. It focuses on statistics (a branch of mathematics), including births, deaths, migration and the occurrences of diseases, all of which have an impact on human populations.

Emigrate To leave the country of one’s birth in order to settle and work elsewhere, or to escape hardship in one’s home country. A person leaving a country is called an emigrant and a person entering a country is called an immigrant.

Ethnic group A community of people who may share certain physical characteristics, or who have the same language, religion or customs, and who feel a common sense of identity.

Fertility rate The average number of children that are born per woman of child-bearing age (presumed to be aged 15–49). As of 2022, the country with the lowest fertility rate is South Korea, where it is 0.9. The country with the highest is Niger, where it is 6.8.

Indigenous A person who was born in the country or region in which they live. The term indigenous people is mostly used to refer to people who lived in a country before a foreign people or culture took over the region.

Megacity A city or urban agglomeration with a total population of more than 10 million people. According to some sources, as of 2020 there are 35 megacities around the world. The largest of these are Tokyo, Shanghai and Jakarta, with 38 million, 34 million and 32 million inhabitants respectively.

Megalopolis A “supercity” made up of several cities that have grown so big they have started to merge together. Their joint populations may amount to tens or even hundreds of millions of people. The Pearl River Delta in China, an urban area comprising the cities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and others, is an example of a megalopolis.

Migration The movement of people from one country to another in order to settle. The term is also used to mean movement within countries (such as from the countryside to cities). People who migrate are called migrants. Those that enter a new territory are called immigrants; those that leave are called emigrants.

Multiculturalism The acceptance of multiple cultures within one region. For example, the United States is usually considered a multicultural country. It is home to people from a range of countries, who bring their own traditions and culture to the USA.

Overpopulation Having a greater population than can be sustained by an area’s resources. Some people think that, if the human population continues to grow at the present rate, there will be severe shortages of food, fuel and fresh water.

Population The people of a country, city or other specific area. The world population underwent a massive increase during the 20th century. In 1900 it stood at 1.6 billion. As of 2022, the world population is 8 billion, and is still increasing, but at a slower rate. The main cause of this increase is the fall in death rates as a result of improving health care, meaning that fewer children die in infancy, and adults are living much longer. The population of a country is constantly fluctuating, changed each day by births, deaths, immigrations and emigrations.

Population density The number of people in a given area, usually measured in people per square kilometre. Population density is often calculated for a city or country. The world’s most densely populated cities are in southern and eastern Asia.

Population growth The increase in the number of people in a region over time.

Population policies Government plans intended either to increase or decrease their country’s population. In 1979, China introduced a policy in which many families were forbidden from having more than one child. As a result, the birth rate dropped from 33.43 in 1970 to 12.25 in 2013. The policy was relaxed in that year, then replaced by a two-child policy in 2016. All restrictions were lifted in 2021. Other countries, such as Italy and Malaysia, seek to increase their birth rate and population by offering parents financial incentives.

Refugee A person who has left their home country because they have suffered—or feared—persecution because of their race, religion, ethnic group or political opinions, or because they are fleeing war. Until a request for refuge has been accepted by a new country, that person is described as an asylum seeker.

Urbanization The physical growth of cities, or urban areas, as a result of rural migration. Urbanization represents a fundamental change in recent historical times to the way people live all over the world—a change in which mostly village cultures are being rapidly replaced by mainly urban ones. In the past few decades, some cities in the developing world have expanded hugely. In 1970, Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, had a population of 1,474,000. By 2016, the population of Greater Dhaka had risen to an estimated total of 18,200,000.

Consultant: Lloyd Jenkins