AQA A-level Geography · 3.2.4

Population change and migration

50 exam-style questions with answers for 3.2.4 Population change and migration in AQA A-level Geography (spec 7037). Practise with flashcards, a topic quiz, a random quiz across the course, 5 crosswords, or read every question and answer below. Not official AQA material.

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Question 1 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Vital rates
Define the terms crude birth rate, crude death rate, natural increase and total fertility rate. [4 marks]
Answer:
Crude birth rate is the number of live births per 1,000 people per year (1); crude death rate is the number of deaths per 1,000 people per year (1); natural increase is the difference between the birth rate and the death rate (1); total fertility rate is the average number of children a woman would have in her lifetime (1).
Question 2 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Vital rates
A country has a birth rate of 38 and a death rate of 11 per 1,000. Calculate the natural increase as a percentage. [2 marks]
Answer:
38 − 11 = 27 per 1,000 (1); 27 ÷ 10 = 2.7% (1).
Question 3 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Demographic transition model
Describe the five stages of the demographic transition model. [5 marks]
Answer:
Stage 1: birth and death rates are both high and fluctuate, so the total population is stable (1); stage 2: death rate falls rapidly while birth rate stays high, so population grows quickly (1); stage 3: birth rate falls, so the rate of growth slows (1); stage 4: birth and death rates are both low and fluctuate, so population is stable or grows slowly (1); stage 5: birth rate falls below death rate, so there is natural decrease (1).
Question 4 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Demographic transition model
Explain why death rates fall rapidly in stage 2 of the demographic transition model. [3 marks]
Answer:
Medical advances, vaccination and public health programmes reduce infectious disease (1); better food supply from improved farming, storage and transport reduces famine (1); clean water and sanitation reduce waterborne disease, especially among infants (1).
Question 5 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Demographic transition model
Explain why birth rates fall in stage 3 of the demographic transition model. [4 marks]
Answer:
Contraception and family planning become widely available (1); education of women and more women in paid work lead to later marriage and fewer children (1); urbanisation means children are more costly and are not needed as farm labour (1); lower infant mortality means parents need fewer births to ensure survival of children (1).
Question 6 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Demographic transition model
Explain why birth and death rates are low and fluctuate in stage 4. [3 marks]
Answer:
Birth rates vary with economic conditions, the age of marriage and attitudes to work and family (1); death rates are low because of healthcare and high living standards, but rise slightly as the population ages (1); natural increase is therefore small, near zero (1).
Question 7 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Demographic transition model
Explain why some countries have moved into stage 5 with natural decrease. [3 marks]
Answer:
Birth rates have fallen below replacement level of about 2.1 children per woman because people marry later, women work and housing and childcare are costly (1); the ageing population means more deaths than births (1); Japan and Italy have fertility rates of about 1.2–1.3 and their populations are shrinking (1).
Question 8 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Demographic transition model
Outline the limitations of the demographic transition model. [4 marks]
Answer:
It was based on Western Europe, and not all countries follow the same path or speed (1); it does not include migration, which has a major effect on population (1); it ignores government policies, such as the one-child policy, and events such as war, famine and HIV/AIDS (1); it assumes that birth rates fall as countries develop, but this is not always so (1).
Question 9 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Age–sex structure
Describe the features of a population pyramid for a low-income country such as Niger, at stage 2. [3 marks]
Answer:
It has a very wide base, showing a high birth rate (1); the sides slope steeply inwards, showing high death rates and short life expectancy (1); very few people are over 65, and the median age is about 15 years (1).
Question 10 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Age–sex structure
Describe the features of a population pyramid for a high-income country such as the UK, at stage 4. [3 marks]
Answer:
The base is narrow and the pyramid is fairly even in width up to middle age, showing low birth rates and low death rates (1); there are bulges in middle age, from the baby boom generation (1); there is a large proportion over 65, with more women than men in the oldest groups because women live longer (1).
Question 11 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Age–sex structure
Describe the features of the population pyramid of Japan. [3 marks]
Answer:
The base is very narrow, showing a low birth rate (1); the top is wide, with nearly 30% of people over 65 (1); the working-age population is shrinking and the median age is about 48 years (1).
Question 12 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Age–sex structure
A country has 20 million people aged under 15, 10 million aged 65 and over and 60 million aged 15–64. Calculate the dependency ratio and explain what it shows. [3 marks]
Answer:
(20 + 10) ÷ 60 × 100 (1); 50 (1); it shows the number of dependants for every 100 people of working age (1).
Question 13 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Age–sex structure
Explain the implications of a high youth dependency and of an ageing population. [4 marks]
Answer:
Many young people need spending on schools, healthcare and jobs (1); an ageing population needs pensions, healthcare and care services (1); fewer workers pay taxes to support more dependants (1); governments may raise the retirement age, raise taxes or encourage immigration (1).
Question 14 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Age–sex structure
Explain why the population pyramids of Gulf states such as Qatar and the UAE are unusual. [3 marks]
Answer:
There is a large bulge of men aged 20–50 (1); this is because male migrant workers come to work in construction, oil and services (1); few women and children migrate with them, because workers are on temporary contracts and often not allowed to bring families (1).
Question 15 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Cultural controls
Explain how religion can influence fertility. [3 marks]
Answer:
Some religious teachings encourage large families or oppose contraception, which has been linked with higher fertility in places such as the Philippines (1); some religious communities value large families, but fertility varies widely and has fallen rapidly in Iran and Bangladesh (1); religious influence tends to weaken as education and urbanisation increase (1).
Question 16 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Cultural controls
Explain how the status and education of women affect fertility. [4 marks]
Answer:
Educated women marry later and have fewer children (1); women with jobs have higher opportunity costs of having children (1); educated women understand and have more control over contraception (1); they are more likely to have healthy children, so fewer are needed for survival (1).
Question 17 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Cultural controls
Explain how a cultural preference for sons affects population structure. [3 marks]
Answer:
In India and China sons are valued as they carry the family name and support parents in old age (1); this has led to sex-selective abortion and neglect of girls, so more boys are born than girls, with a ratio of over 115 to 100 at its peak in China (1); the imbalance causes a shortage of women to marry and an unbalanced population structure (1).
Question 18 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Government policies
Describe the one-child policy in China and its effects. [4 marks]
Answer:
It was introduced around 1980, limiting most urban couples to one child with fines and sometimes forced abortion and sterilisation (1); fertility fell from nearly 6 children per woman in 1970 to under 2, although part of the fall happened before the policy (1); effects include an ageing population, shrinking workforce and a skewed sex ratio (1); the policy was relaxed to two children in 2016 and three in 2021, and the population began to fall in 2022 (1).
Question 19 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Government policies
Describe pro-natalist policies that governments use to raise birth rates. [3 marks]
Answer:
France gives family allowances, subsidised childcare and long paid parental leave (1); Singapore gives baby bonuses, tax rebates and priority in housing (1); results are limited, as fertility remains below replacement level in most countries, because costs and attitudes to work have a stronger effect (1).
Question 20 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Government policies
Describe how fertility fell in Iran. [3 marks]
Answer:
In the 1980s fertility was over 6 children per woman (1); a national family planning programme from 1989 provided free contraception, was supported by religious leaders and was helped by education of girls (1); fertility fell to around 2 by the early 2000s, one of the fastest falls recorded, but the government has since encouraged births again (1).
Question 21 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Physical settings
Explain how the physical environment affects the rate of natural change in population. [3 marks]
Answer:
Fertile land and reliable rainfall, as in river deltas, support food supplies and lower death rates (1); drought-prone areas such as the Sahel suffer famine, which raises death rates (1); tropical climates have more disease, and natural hazards such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which killed over 200,000 people, increase mortality (1).
Question 22 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Physical settings
Explain how HIV/AIDS affected natural change in southern Africa. [3 marks]
Answer:
Life expectancy fell sharply in the 1990s and 2000s, in Botswana from about 64 years to around 50 (1); death rates rose and the pyramids lost young adults, creating a narrow waist and many orphans (1); antiretroviral drugs have since raised life expectancy again (1).
Question 23 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Contrasting settings
Compare the population change in Niger and the UK in relation to the demographic transition model. [4 marks]
Answer:
Niger has a birth rate of over 45 per 1,000 and fertility of about 6–7 children per woman (1); the UK has a birth rate of about 10 per 1,000 and fertility of about 1.5 (1); life expectancy in Niger is about 60 years compared with about 81 in the UK (1); Niger is in stage 2 with growth of over 3% a year, whereas the UK is in stage 4 and its growth is mainly from migration (1).
Question 24 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Contrasting settings
Describe the population change in Brazil in relation to the demographic transition model. [3 marks]
Answer:
Fertility fell from about 6 children per woman in the 1960s to below replacement level now (1); this was due to urbanisation, female education, contraception and the influence of television (1); the population is still growing because of its young age structure, and is projected to peak around 2040 (1).
Question 25 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Demographic dividend
Define the term demographic dividend. [2 marks]
Answer:
The economic benefit that comes when fertility falls and the share of the population of working age is large compared with the number of dependants (1); it leads to higher productivity, savings and economic growth (1).
Question 26 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Demographic dividend
Explain the conditions needed for a country to benefit from a demographic dividend. [3 marks]
Answer:
Fertility must fall so that the number of dependent children decreases (1); investment in health and education is needed so that workers are healthy and skilled (1); there must be enough jobs for the growing workforce, supported by good governance and stable investment (1).
Question 27 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Demographic dividend
Describe how South Korea benefited from a demographic dividend. [3 marks]
Answer:
Fertility fell from about 6 children per woman in the 1960s to below 2 by the mid-1980s (1); the working-age share rose, and investment in education and export industries created jobs, savings and growth (1); GDP per capita rose from one of the lowest in Asia to high income within decades (1); the country is now ageing rapidly with one of the world's lowest fertility rates.
Question 28 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Demographic dividend
Explain why sub-Saharan Africa may find it difficult to gain a demographic dividend. [3 marks]
Answer:
Fertility remains high in many countries, so the working-age share is rising slowly (1); education and health systems are weak, and many workers have low skills (1); about 10–12 million young people enter the labour market each year, and there are not enough jobs for them (1).
Question 29 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Demographic dividend
Explain how a large youth population can lead to instability. [3 marks]
Answer:
Large numbers of unemployed young people are frustrated, and youth unemployment contributed to the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011 (1); high youth unemployment can lead to crime, conflict and emigration (1); the same youth bulge can be a dividend if jobs are created (1).
Question 30 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · International migration
Define the terms refugee, asylum seeker, economic migrant and internally displaced person. [4 marks]
Answer:
A refugee is a person outside their country who cannot return because of a well-founded fear of persecution (1); an asylum seeker is someone who has applied for refugee status and is waiting for a decision (1); an economic migrant moves to find work or a better standard of living (1); an internally displaced person is forced to move but stays within their own country (1).
Question 31 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · International migration
Describe the global scale and pattern of forced displacement. [3 marks]
Answer:
The UNHCR reports over 110 million forcibly displaced people, the highest number on record (1); the majority are internally displaced, and the rest are refugees and asylum seekers (1); most refugees are hosted by low- and middle-income countries near conflict, such as Iran, Turkey, Colombia and Uganda (1).
Question 32 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · International migration
Explain the push and pull factors for international migration. [4 marks]
Answer:
Push factors include unemployment, low wages, poverty, conflict and persecution (1); environmental push factors include drought, flooding and other hazards (1); pull factors include jobs, higher wages, safety and better education and healthcare (1); family and community links in the destination also attract migrants (1).
Question 33 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Causes of migration
Explain the environmental causes of migration, using examples. [4 marks]
Answer:
Drought and desertification in the Sahel and Horn of Africa reduce harvests and force people to leave (1); floods in Pakistan in 2022 displaced about eight million people (1); sea level rise and storm surges threaten Bangladesh and low-lying islands such as Tuvalu (1); the 1995 eruption of the Soufrière Hills volcano caused about two thirds of the people of Montserrat to leave (1).
Question 34 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Causes of migration
Explain the socio-economic causes of migration. [3 marks]
Answer:
Unemployment, low wages and poverty push people to move to places with better jobs and pay (1); lack of education, healthcare and services in rural areas drives migration (1); family reunion and migrant networks make it easier to move (1).
Question 35 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Causes of migration
Explain how conflict and political causes force people to migrate. [3 marks]
Answer:
Armed conflict and persecution because of race, religion or political opinion force people to flee (1); the war in Syria since 2011 has displaced over half of the population, with over six million refugees abroad (1); the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 created millions of refugees in Europe (1).
Question 36 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Processes
Describe the processes of international migration. [3 marks]
Answer:
Chain migration is where early migrants help relatives and friends from the same place to follow (1); step migration is where people move from village to town to city and then abroad (1); intervening obstacles such as borders, cost, distance and visa rules affect routes, and some migrants use agents or smugglers (1).
Question 37 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Case studies
Describe migration from Mexico to the USA. [4 marks]
Answer:
It is one of the world's largest migration corridors, with about 11 million Mexican-born people in the USA (1); push factors include unemployment, low wages and violence, while pull factors include wages several times higher and jobs in farming, construction and services (1); the 3,000 km land border and family networks make it easier to move, and many migrants are undocumented (1); remittances sent from the USA are worth over $50 billion a year to Mexico (1).
Question 38 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Case studies
Describe the Syrian refugee crisis. [4 marks]
Answer:
The civil war began in 2011 and involved bombing, sieges and the rise of ISIS (1); over six million people fled abroad, mostly to neighbouring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan (1); in 2015 more than a million people, many from Syria, crossed to Europe by sea (1); Lebanon hosts more refugees per head than any other country, putting great pressure on services (1).
Question 39 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Case studies
Describe the movement of Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh and its environmental impacts. [3 marks]
Answer:
Violence by the Myanmar military in 2017 forced over 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh (1); the Kutupalong camp in Cox's Bazar is one of the largest refugee settlements, with nearly one million people (1); trees were cut for shelters and fuel, causing deforestation, landslides and flooding in the monsoon (1).
Question 40 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Implications of migration
Explain the demographic implications of migration for the source area. [3 marks]
Answer:
Emigration removes young adults, especially men, reducing the workforce and birth rate (1); children and older people are left behind, so the population ages (1); Bulgaria and Latvia have lost over a fifth of their populations since 1990 (1).
Question 41 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Implications of migration
Explain the demographic implications of migration for the host area. [3 marks]
Answer:
Migrants are mainly young adults, so they increase the working-age population and slow ageing (1); migrants often have higher birth rates, so births increase, and around a third of births in England and Wales are to mothers born abroad (1); the ethnic and cultural mix of the population changes (1).
Question 42 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Implications of migration
Explain the economic implications of migration for the source area. [4 marks]
Answer:
Remittances sent home were over $600 billion to low- and middle-income countries in 2022, more than aid (1); India receives the most, over $100 billion a year (1); a brain drain of skilled workers such as doctors and engineers reduces skills and growth (1); some economies depend too much on remittances (1).
Question 43 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Implications of migration
Explain the economic implications of migration for the host area. [4 marks]
Answer:
Migrants fill labour shortages in health, farming, care and construction (1); they pay taxes and spend money, which supports local economies (1); more workers reduce the average age and help to pay for pensions (1); there may be pressure on housing, schools and health services, and lower wages in some low-skilled jobs (1).
Question 44 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Implications of migration
Explain the social implications of migration. [3 marks]
Answer:
Families are split, with children left behind, but remittances may raise education and living standards (1); host areas gain cultural diversity in food, music and festivals (1); there may be tensions, racism and segregation if communities do not integrate (1).
Question 45 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Implications of migration
Explain the environmental implications of migration. [3 marks]
Answer:
Migrants increase demand for housing, water and energy in host cities, causing urban sprawl and pollution (1); large refugee camps cause deforestation, water shortages and waste problems (1); in source areas, abandoned farmland may recover, or fall into decay (1).
Question 46 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Implications of migration
Explain the health implications of migration. [3 marks]
Answer:
Migrants and refugees may have poor health because of dangerous journeys and camp conditions, with a high risk of mental illness (1); infectious diseases can spread in crowded camps (1); the recruitment of doctors and nurses from Ghana, Nigeria and Zimbabwe to the UK weakens health services in their home countries (1).
Question 47 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Implications of migration
Explain the political implications of migration. [4 marks]
Answer:
Migration is a major political issue and has been linked to the rise of anti-immigration parties in Europe (1); it was a major factor in the 2016 UK referendum on leaving the EU (1); countries have introduced border controls and quotas, and EU states have disagreed over sharing refugees (1); governments of source countries may gain from remittances and from votes of emigrants (1).
Question 48 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Implications of migration
Explain why Gulf states rely on migrant workers. [3 marks]
Answer:
Local populations are small, while there is a demand for labour in construction, services and oil (1); about 80–90% of the population of Qatar and the UAE are migrants, mainly from India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh (1); the kafala system ties workers to employers, and has been criticised for poor conditions (1).
Question 49 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Evaluation
Assess the extent to which migration benefits both the source and host areas. [6 marks]
Answer:
Host areas gain workers, skills, taxes and cultural diversity (1); source areas gain remittances, which are larger than aid, and knowledge when migrants return (1); however, source areas suffer from brain drain and loss of young adults (1); host areas may experience pressure on housing and services and social tensions (1); the benefits depend on whether migrants are skilled or unskilled, are legal or illegal and are integrated into society (1); overall migration benefits many groups, but the costs fall on different people and places, so the balance depends on the scale, type of migration and government policies (1).
Question 50 · Spec 3.2.4.4 · Evaluation
Assess the usefulness of the demographic transition model in explaining population change. [6 marks]
Answer:
The model gives a clear framework for the change from high to low birth and death rates, and fits the experience of the UK and many other countries (1); it can be used to compare countries and to predict future growth, as in Niger, Brazil and the UK (1); however, it was based on Europe, so countries differ in timing and speed (1); it ignores migration and government policies, such as the one-child policy in China (1); events such as HIV/AIDS, war and famine can reverse the changes (1); the model is a useful starting point, but it needs to be used with other information to explain population change in individual countries (1).

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