Document Type

Circular

Publication Date

1-1993

Department

Rural Sociology Department

Circular Number

229-26

Keywords

rural sociology, population shifts, population changes, census, gender statistics, age statistics, gender census data, age census data

Description

Age and sex structure of a population plays a critical role in determining the needs and lifestyle of that population. One community, for example, may have a high number of children and youth, a sure indicator of need for teachers and schools; another community may have a high proportion of elderly, indicating a greater need for medical services. People of different ages or gender also may have different consumer preferences. When business leaders and community leaders know the age and sex structure of their community, they can use that information to help direct resources toward meeting particular needs in education, housing, recreation, and medical and social services. Although no two communities are likely to have identical age and sex structures, there are general patterns that are helpful for identifying potential population needs. Population pyramids and indices are useful for illustrating these patterns.

Pages

80

Format

application/pdf

Type

text

Language

en

Publisher

Agricultural Experiment Station, South Dakota State University

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