Activity # 3

Activity #4 Population Growth Rates

Activity # 5

1. Using the data you assembled in Activity #3, calculate the average annual percent change for each decade. This number is commonly referred to as the growth rate and is usually expressed as a percentage. 
   
   

   Hint: One way to do this is to divide the Average Rate of Change you determined for each decade by the Population at the beginning of the decade. Then convert this to a percentage by multiplying by 100.

   
   
2. Compare your calculated growth rates to the Percent Change from Preceding Census numbers given in Population, Housing Units, Area Measurements, and Density: 1790-1990. They should differ by a factor of 10. Why is that?
   
   
3. Compare the growth rates you calculated for each decade from 1950 to 1990 to those estimated in the International Database (IDB) Summary Demographic Data database for the U.S. Are your values similar? If not, why do you think they may be different?
   
   
4. What factors do you think contribute to a country's growth rate? Why might a country's growth rate change over time? How might you explain the change in U.S. growth rates for the different decades between 1790 and 1990?
   
   
5. According to the IDB Summary Demographic Data (Demographic Indicators) for the U.S., what was the estimated annual rate of growth in 2000? What is predicted for 2025? Based on past and predicted growth rates, would you say that the U.S. is currently experiencing a rapid growth, slow growth, no growth, or negative growth in population?

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