Class 8 Social Science (Exploring Society Part 2) Chapter 6: Dynamics of Population

New NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond Part 2 · Class 8 Social Science · Part 2 · Chapter 6: Dynamics of Population

This chapter explains demography: how births, deaths and migration change a population over time. It covers the stages of demographic transition, sex ratio, population pyramids and India's limited window for a demographic dividend.

From the Class 8 Social Science Short Notes, made as per the new NCERT book Exploring Society: India and Beyond · Pages 132–141 of the book.

Key points

• Demography studies the composition of a population by age, sex, occupation, religion and so on, and how it changes over time.
• Knowing population size and structure helps governments plan schools, hospitals, jobs and other resources.
• In India the census is generally held every 10 years.
• In 2023, India surpassed China to become the world's most populous country; Indians are about 17 per cent of the world population.
• A country's population changes through births, deaths and migration.
• The replacement level fertility rate is 2.1; India's fertility rate fell from 5.7 (1950) to 1.9 (2025).
• Higher literacy among women goes with a lower fertility rate.
• Child mortality in India fell from 271 (1950) to 28 (2023), and life expectancy rose from 30 years at independence to 70 years in 2024.
• Countries pass through three stages of demographic transition as death rates and then birth rates fall.
• India's sex ratio was 933 in Census 2001 and 943 in Census 2011.
• India's population pyramid has changed from a narrow triangle in the 1950s to a bell shape now.
• Nearly 65% of Indians are of working age, giving a demographic dividend, but the window is limited as India will move towards an older population after 2050.

Key terms

• Demography: The study of the composition of human population by age, sex, occupation, religion and so on, and how it changes over time.
• Working-age population: People aged 15 to 64 years, generally the most productive.
• Census: Collecting, compiling, analysing and sharing demographic, economic and social information of all persons in a country at a specific time.
• Fertility rate: The average number of children a woman would have in her lifetime.
• Replacement level fertility rate: 2.1, the number of children needed to replace the parents for a stable population.
• Life expectancy: The average number of years a newborn is expected to live under today's conditions.
• Sex ratio: The number of females per 1,000 males in a population.
• Demographic dividend: The economic growth potential of a nation resulting from a younger and productive age structure.

Diagrams to learn

• Fig 6.1 Components of demography
• Table: population of countries, 2024
• Fig 6.3 India's population growth
• Table: birth rate, fertility rate, death rate and migration
• Table: fertility rate and literacy among women by State
• Table: stages of demographic transition
• Fig 6.7 Shapes of population pyramids
• Table: young vs ageing population

A real page from the book

Frequently asked questions

What is replacement level fertility?

It is a fertility rate of 2.1, the number of children needed to replace the parents for a stable population. Above 2.1 the population is likely to grow; below 2.1 it may shrink.

What are the stages of demographic transition?

In Stage 1 both birth and death rates are high. In Stage 2 the death rate falls but the birth rate stays high, so the population grows rapidly. In Stage 3 the birth rate also falls and growth slows or the population may shrink.

Why is India's demographic dividend a limited window?

Growth of the young population is expected to decrease beyond 2050, and India will then move towards an older population. Children under five peaked in 2007 and Indians under 15 peaked in 2011.

← Part 2 · Chapter 5: Citizenship: Rights and DutiesPart 2 · Chapter 7: India’s Urban Landscape →

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