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Population Growth

What Is It?

Population growth is the increase in the number of people within a population during a set period of time

How Is It Calculated?

Population growth is calculated by taking the prior year's population and adding the number of live births and inward migrations and subtracting of deaths and outward migrations.

What Does It Mean?

Population growth is an indicator of a country’s standards of living, as well as its fertility rate. It also can provide insight into sex education, use of birth control, and immigration/emigration trends. 

The source of the population growth has different policy and planning implications:

  • Population growth that results from an increasing fertility rate will create, among other things, a greater need for educational infrastructure and a future demand for increased employment opportunities. 
  • Population growth that results from immigration will create immediate demand for increased housing and greater employment opportunities.
  • Regardless of the cause of expansion, a country's healthcare infrastructure will need to expand along with the country's population.
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