A demographer sketches the age-sex structure of Country X. The pyramid shows a very broad base tapering sharply with each successive age group, with a narrow apex representing the elderly. The birth rate is high and the death rate has just begun to fall. What type of population does this pyramid represent?
- A Expansive population with high fertility and rapid growth potential ✓
- B Stationary population with zero population growth
- C Constrictive population with negative growth
- D Regressive population with an inverted age structure
Correct answer: A. Expansive population with high fertility and rapid growth potential
Explanation
A broad-based pyramid indicates a young population with high birth rates; each older cohort is smaller because of high mortality and recent fertility patterns. This is the classic expansive profile of countries in the early stages of demographic transition, with strong built-in growth momentum. A stationary population shows an almost rectangular pyramid, while constrictive pyramids have narrower bases than their middle cohorts.
Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 25th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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