A population pyramid (age structure diagram) or "age-sex pyramid" is a graphical illustration of the distribution of a population (typically that of a country or region of the world) by age groups and sex; it typically takes the shape of a pyramid when the population is growing.[1] Males are usually shown on the left and females on the right, and they may be measured in absolute numbers or as a percentage of the total population. The pyramid can be used to visualize the age of a particular population.[2] It is also used in ecology to determine the overall age distribution of a population; an indication of the reproductive capabilities and likelihood of the continuation of a species. Number of people per unit area of land is called population density.
- ^ "Population Pyramids of the World from 1950 to 2100". PopulationPyramid.net. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
- ^ Weeks, John (2001). Population An introduction to concepts and issues. Wadsworth. p. 307.