Use MapChart to visually represent five countries with the most youthful and and five countries with elderly population
The population of Japan is estimated at 123 million in 2023
93% of the population is urban.
| Uganda (an LEDC) in 2020 | Japan (an MEDC) in 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 46 million in Uganda of which 24 million is youthful (0-14) in 2020 | 126 million people only 12% is youthful (0-14) | ||
| Median age | 17 years | 48 years | ||
| Birth rate | 35 births per 1000 population | 7 births per 1000 | ||
| Life expectancy | 64 years | 84 years | ||
| Fertility rate | 4.7 children per woman | 1.4 children per woman | ||
| Death rate | 6.2 deaths per 1000 | 11 deaths per 1000 | ||
| Infant mortality rate | 46 deaths per 1000 live births | 1.9 deaths per 1000 live births |
| Uganda (an LEDC) in 2020 | Japan (an MEDC) in 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 46 million in Uganda of which 24 million is youthful (0-14) in 2020 | 126 million people only 12% is youthful (0-14) | ||
| Median age | 17 years | 48 years | ||
| Birth rate | 35 births per 1000 population | 7 births per 1000 | ||
| Life expectancy | 64 years | 84 years | ||
| Fertility rate | 4.7 children per woman | 1.4 children per woman | ||
| Death rate | 6.2 deaths per 1000 | 11 deaths per 1000 | ||
| Infant mortality rate | 46 deaths per 1000 live births | 1.9 deaths per 1000 live births |
source: indexmundi country profile
A youthful population is defined as a population that has a high proportion of young people (0-14 years of age) due to high birth rates and a decrease in infant mortality. Children are young dependents on the working population.
The high fertility may be due to:Â children being considered as assets in LEDCs especially for parents who work in the primary sector, lack of education for women about family planning, less access to contraception, religious forbidding for the use of contraception and a high infant mortality rate for which the high birth rate compensates.
The death rate in Uganda however has fallen rapidly in recent years: This is largely due to UNICEF’s global program, which helps to provide children with vaccinations against common infections, improved treatment for Malaria and other medical breakthrough.
The youthful population of Uganda (Ugandans aged 15 or below) stood at 19 million out of a population of 35 million. Many Ugandans are having access to safe water and to an improved sanitation system thereby mortality rate has also decreased. On the other hand, people also compensated for by having more children because of a lack of confidence that their children would survive infancy, thereby creating high fertility rate.
The problems of youthful populations
Economic: Economic burden on tax payers and more government spending for suitable infrastructure development like schools, sports facilities, public transport etc.
Increased unemployment in future if new jobs are not created which may lead to more competition for jobs, increased poverty, conflict and civil unrest.
Ecological: Overall shortage of limited finite resources. Over exploitation of agricultural land for more food production and consequent deforestation, soil erosion, desertification and overall depletion of resources.
Socio-cultural: Migration, overcrowding in large cities, in LEDCs shantytowns may start to grow at the city edges, there could be lowering of living standard and a rising crime rate. An increasing population can cause water and land pollution.
Positive sides: Large manpower for the future that may act as an engine of growth for the economy. Large market for consumer products. Lower death rate and more innovations in the society.
