CHANGING POPULATION COMPOSITION
The composition of a population refers to how it is divided according to age, sex, race, ethnic group, occupation, class, and other variables. The age and sex composition of population is most clearly shown in fellatio pyramid, which shows the of the population in each age and sex e U see Figure 17-1). Under most cor condition population pyramid will take the snap perfect Christmas tree, widest at the base tapering evenly to a point. Major hanges n the birthrate (or great losses through tepid or war) may distort this perfect tree as is shown in Figure 17-1.The composition of a population affects I S social life. Washington, D.C., with its I , female clerical workers, St. Peter burg rida, with its retired people, and Georgia, with nearby Fort Benrung-« cities are different, in part, because of t ences in the age, sex, and occupati 01 position of the population whose nee fill. Why do you suppose Florida ha “n death rate of 11.0 per 1,000 pe pi Wyoming has a death rate of only 7.2′ – n you explain why Florida’s birthrate IS 1′.1 (births per 1,000 people) and Would it help to know that 17.3 pt e t of the people in Florida and only 7.9 of the people in Wyoming are over 65 ‘cars old? Or that 22.9 percent of till P v ! in Florida and 40.1 percent of the people in Wyoming are between the ages of 20 5 [Statistical Abstract, 1981, pp. 28, 61, 7:” The rates above are crude birihra’es and , rates, stating the number of births and per 1,000 people during a year, regardlesstheir age composition, sex ratios, or any ether characteristics. These are not very hood n urcs for comparing health or fertility of poelation groups of different compositi such comparisons, a number of adjusted rates are used by demographers. T \u, the crude death rate for the Tamerlane ulation by 6.5 percent between 19 0 an 1978, while, age-adjusted detail rail y 15.1 percent (Statistical Abstract,’ 1, P ‘”This is a rate which makes a changes in the age distribution of the OpUlation during that period .
