Geography Vital Rates Table

Population Indicators – Vital Rates

Vital Rate
Definition/Explanation
Calculated by…
Example
Birth Rate

Dividing the total number of births in a year by the population and multiplying by 1000.

Total number of births in the US (2008) = 4,247,694
Total population US = 307,006,550

Birth Rate = ___________ (per 1000)

Death Rate

Dividing the total number of deaths in a year by the population and multiplying by 1000.

Death rate UK (2008) = _______________ per 1000 people

Death rate in Botswana (2008) =

_______________ per 1000 people

Fertility Rate

The average number of children expected to be born to a woman over her lifetime – assuming that she survives from birth through to the end of her reproductive life.

N/A

In the UK the average is 1.66

In Afghanistan it is 5.5
Infant Mortality Rate

Dividing the annual number of deaths of infants up to age 1 by the number of live births and multiplying by 1000

IMR Niger (2006) = ______________

IMR UK (2006) = _________________
Life Expectancy

The number of years that a person in a given population can expect to live – usually expressed ‘at birth’. Often this figure is broken down by gender because women tend to live longer than men.

Estimating the statistical likelihood that an individual will reach a particular age. By averaging ‘the average age of death’ now and in the past, estimates can project how these might change in future. Countries with a low life expectancy tend to have a high infant mortality rate, which reduces the average age of death significantly.

Life expectancy Niger = __________
(2006)

Life expectancy USA = ___________
(2006)
Net Migration Rate

Difference between the number of persons entering and leaving a country during the year per 1,000 persons. An excess of persons entering the country is referred to as net immigration; an excess of persons leaving the country as net emigration. The migration rate indicates the contribution of migration to the overall level of population change. The net migration rate doesn’t distinguish between economic migrants, refugees, and other types, nor does it distinguish between lawful and undocumented migrants.

First the number of immigrants and emigrants is calculated per 1000 people by diving the total number of people coming into/going out of the country by the total population.

Then the net migration rate is calculated by subtracting the number of emigrants per 1000 people from the number of immigrants per 1000 people.

Net migration rate UK = 2.16 per 1000

Net migration rate Maldives = -12.58 per 1000 people

Net migration rate Kuwait = 16.02 per 1000 people
Population Density

The number of people in a certain area, or how spread out they are. Normally measured as people per km. An area may be either ‘densely’ or ‘sparsely’ populated.

Dividing the total population by the total land area of the country/area.

Population Isle of Wight = 140,500
Total area Isle of Wight = 384 km2

Population density IoW =

____________ per km2