Actual growth of population
Topic: World Population: Distribution, Density, Growth and Migration · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 2 "The World Population: Distribution, Density and Growth"
Meaning
Actual growth of population is the total change in the number of people in an area over a period. It counts births, deaths and also people moving in or out. The formula is births − deaths + in-migration − out-migration. In-migration means people moving into the area, and out-migration means people leaving it. It shows the real change on the ground, so planners use it to judge how many homes, jobs and services a place will need.
Example
Delhi, the national capital in north India, receives many migrants from states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. So its actual growth is much higher than its births minus deaths alone would suggest. The Gulf states, such as the UAE, show the same pattern because large numbers of workers move in from countries like India.
Don't confuse with
- Natural growth of population: it counts only births minus deaths and leaves out migration. In a place with little migration the two figures are almost the same. In a place with heavy migration they can be very different.
Related concepts
- Natural growth of population
- Positive growth of population
- Negative growth of population
- Population doubling time