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Population Growth

Definition

Population growth refers to the increase in the number of individuals in a population. It can be measured as the change in population over time, often due to factors such as birth rate, death rate, and migration.

Analogy

Think of population growth like a balloon being filled with air. The more air (or people) you add, the bigger it gets. But just like how too much air can pop a balloon, too rapid or uncontrolled population growth can lead to problems like overcrowding and resource scarcity.

Related terms

Birth Rate: This is the number of live births per thousand of population per year. It's like measuring how quickly new air (people) is being added into our balloon (population).

Death Rate: This is the number of deaths per thousand of population per year. In our balloon analogy, this would be similar to small amounts of air leaking out.

Migration: This refers to movement by people from one place to another with intentions of settling temporarily or permanently in the new location. Imagine if you could move some air from one balloon into another - that's what migration does for populations!