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Unit 5: Human Population Dynamics

Street Market in Mumbai, India. Courtesy of David E. Bloom

Street Market in Mumbai, India. Courtesy of David E. Bloom

Unit Overview

What factors influence human population growth trends most strongly, and how does population growth or decline impact the environment? Does urbanization threaten our quality of life or offer a pathway to better living conditions? What are the social implications of an aging world population? Discover how demographers approach these questions through the study of human population dynamics.


Content for This Unit

Online Textbook

  1. Introduction
  2. Mathematics of Population Growth
  3. Determinants of Demographic Change
  4. World Population Growth Through History
  5. Population Growth and the Environment
  6. Urbanization and Megacities
  7. Other Consequences of Demographic Change
  8. Demographic Convergence and Human Lifespan Trends
  9. Further Reading

Printable Online Text for This Unit (PDF)