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Introduction To Demography

This document provides an introduction to demography. It discusses how John Graunt established demography by studying mortality records in London in the 1600s. Demography is defined as the scientific study of human populations, focusing on population size, characteristics, growth and distribution. Key population processes include fertility, mortality and migration. Important sources of demographic data include national censuses conducted every 10 years, vital statistics from birth/death registrations, and population surveys. Ghana has experienced strong population growth over the past 50 years according to census data.

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8K views27 pages

Introduction To Demography

This document provides an introduction to demography. It discusses how John Graunt established demography by studying mortality records in London in the 1600s. Demography is defined as the scientific study of human populations, focusing on population size, characteristics, growth and distribution. Key population processes include fertility, mortality and migration. Important sources of demographic data include national censuses conducted every 10 years, vital statistics from birth/death registrations, and population surveys. Ghana has experienced strong population growth over the past 50 years according to census data.

Uploaded by

suapim
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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INTRODUCTION TO

DEMOGRAPHY
Dr. N.A. Baddoo
Objectives of the lecture
 Define demography
 Understand concepts and principles of
Demography
 Know the different sources of demographic
data
 List vital events and their importance to
health
Origins of demography
 Epidemics led to priests compiling weekly
lists of deaths from plague
 John Graunt (1620-1674) – founder/father
of demography
 Studied the Bills of Mortality compiled by
parish priests
 Wrote a book “Natural and Political
Observations Made upon the Bills of
Mortality” in1662
Topics covered by Graunt’s
book
 Causes of death

 Proportions surviving at different ages

 Health and the environment

 The balance of sexes

 Family size
Topics covered by Graunt’s
book
 Age structure
 Employment

 Population estimates
 Population growth

 Components of population growth


 Need for social statistics in public
administration
Effects of Graunt’s book
 Medical statistics on the causes of illness and
death
 Tables on statistical likelihood of people’s
survival – lifetables
 Establishment of national censuses and
statistical offices
 Conduct of regular national censuses
Defining demography
 Combination of two Greek words – ‘demos’ &
‘graphie’ meaning study of the people

 Demography is the study of human


populations
 Demography is the science of human
populations
 Demography is the study of population
processes and characteristics
Population processes
 Growth
 Fertility
 Mortality
 Migration
 Population ageing
Population characteristics
 Age
 Sex
 Birthplace
 Family structure
 Health
 Education
 Occupations
More definitions
 Demography is the science concerned with
the analysis of the size, distribution, structure
and processes of a population

 Demography is the study of human


populations in relation to the changes brought
by the interplay of births, deaths and
migration
Issues arising from
demographic studies
 Numbers of people and events
 Comparisons of populations across time and
space
 Need for uniform measurements
 Analysis to explain observations
Applied demography
 Effects of lifestyles on population processes
 Effect of immigration or emigration on a
society
 Predictions of future population size and its
effects
 Government funding, planning and population
change
 Effect of population change on marriage and
future fertility
Aspects of demography
 Fertility
 Mortality
 Migration
 Ageing
 Life events
 Urbanization and its effects
 Population distribution
 Population projections
Demographic data
 Data cover demographic processes and
events such as births, deaths, migration,
marriage and divorce

 Data cover characteristics such as sex, age,


marital status, birthplaces, occupations and
education
Principal sources of
demographic data
 Censuses
 Vital statistics
 Population surveys
 Population registers
Census
 A national enumeration of a population at the
same time
 Aim is to establish size, distribution and
composition of population
 Ideal is to have a simultaneous count of
population at one date
 Total process of collecting, compiling,
analysing and publishing demographic, social
and economic data pertaining to all people in a
country at a specific period in time
Use of census data
 To delineate electoral boundaries – every 7
years (1992 Constitution)
 To provide baseline data for planning and
administration
 In policy making
 Research
 Business
 Sampling frame for surveys
 To provide information on small areas and
small groups of people
 EC, NHIA, NIA use census data as a guide
Census counts
 De facto census
 Most common
 Counts people wherever they happen to be at the
time of count/reference point in time e.g. midnight
of 26th September, 2010
 Used in last census
 De jure census
 Counts people where they usually live
 More complex to obtain
Limits of census
 Accuracy
 Dependent on information provided or on interviewer
 Privacy
 Certain questions are prohibited by law
 Protection of identity of individuals
 Immediacy
 Information is not immediately available
 Coverage
 Limited questions and not everyone gets counted or every
area reached
Census in Ghana
 There have been 5 national censuses post-
independence
 Censuses held in 1960, 1970, 1984, 2000
 Very first was held by the British in 1891
 Held every 10 years thereafter except in 1941
when world war II disrupted the series
 Report available at Ghana Statistical Services
 Can download some figures on trends from
http://www.gssghana.org
Population trends
 1960 – 6.7 million
 1970 – 8.6 million
 1984 – 12.3 million
 2000 – 18.9 million
 2010 – 24.7 million
Vital statistics
 Obtained from registration systems
 Strictly speaking refers to events that add to
or subtract from the membership of a
population
 Records on vital statistics however tend to
look at all life shaping events
Events covered by vital
statistics
 Birth registration
 Death registration
 Marriage registration
 Divorce
 Adoptions
 International arrivals
 International departures
Limitations of vital statistics
 Not all events are reported
 Accuracy in reporting (especially cause of
deaths)
Population surveys
 Study of a sample of the population that is
concerned about a special topic

Population registers
 Contain the names of everyone in the
population and all vital events that pertain to
that individual
 Ghana has a Community Population Register
for use in rural areas
Ghana Demographic and
Health Survey
 Conducted every five years
 Organized by Macro International and Ghana
Statistical Services
 Covers about 5000 women
 Looks at household characteristics,
characteristics of respondents, fertility, family
planning, infant and child mortality, child
nutrition, maternal health and child health
 Last GDHS was in 2008
Other sources of data
 UN Demographic yearbook
 Epidemiological and Vital Statistics Report
from WHO
 Baptismal records, school records, parish
registers etc
 Secondary or non-traditional sources of
demographic data

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