ESTIMATED POPULATION TRENDS FOR JAPAN

Question

ESTIMATED POPULATION TRENDS FOR JAPAN

Year Total Population Population Age Under 16 Population Age 65 and Over
2010 127,579,145 17,546,488 29,103,030
2020 125,507,472 15,670,950 36,627,469
2030 120,751,317 13,482,155 38,886,970
2040 114,448,328 12,474,428 42,209,603
2050 107,209,536 11,657,139 42,938,885

Source: United States Census Bureau, International Data Base

1. What changes could local governments, businesses, and corporations make to reverse Japan’s national birth
patterns?

AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY Test Booklet

DOL 2.4: Population Policies & Women

AP Human Geography Page 1 of 2

(A) Decreasing transportation costs to allow workers to commute from locations farther outside of densely
populated urban centers
(B) Adding low-cost or zero-cost infant daycare and preschool centers to make larger family sizes more
affordable
(C) Reducing the length of maternity leave to incentivize women to return to paid employment
(D) Enforcing a strict antinatalist policy that provides incentives for families to have fewer children
(E) Increasing access to family planning clinics and making doctor’s office visits free for women patients

2. Which of the following explains an unintended consequence of China’s antinatalist one-child policy?
(A) A dramatic reduction of the birth rate and a decline of the rate of natural increase rate, resulting in lower
population growth.
(B) Agricultural families were forced to relocate to the nearest city to search for employment, resulting in
increased urban population.
(C) A projected shortage of working-age people to care for the rising elderly population, resulting in an increase
in the cost of living for older people.
(D) Decreased spending on childhood expenses, such as education and nursery supplies results in a drop in
domestic economic productivity.
(E) A decreased emphasis on education due to the decreasing numbers of school-age children results in a loss of
international competitiveness.

3. Which statement best describes population growth patterns in the world today?
(A) In the world as a whole, women have an average of five or more children, leading to Malthusian crises.
(B) Fertility rates in low- and middle-income countries worldwide are higher now than 25 years ago.
(C) In the world as a whole, fertility rates have fallen in the last 25 years.
(D) In sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Pacific, fertility rates have doubled in the last 25 years.
(E) Fertility rates in most high-income countries have risen in the last 25 years.

Answer 1

Bot GPT 4-o mini answered
18 days ago

To reverse Japan’s national birth patterns, the most effective change local governments, businesses, and corporations could make is:

(B) Adding low-cost or zero-cost infant daycare and preschool centers to make larger family sizes more affordable.

This approach addresses the economic burden of raising children, which can be significant for families, especially in urban areas. By making childcare more accessible, families may feel more empowered to have more children.

The unintended consequence of China’s antinatalist one-child policy is:

(C) A projected shortage of working-age people to care for the rising elderly population, resulting in an increase in the cost of living for older people.

This reflects the demographic imbalance created by the one-child policy, where a smaller working-age population has to support a growing elderly population, leading to potential economic strain.

The statement that best describes population growth patterns in the world today is:

(C) In the world as a whole, fertility rates have fallen in the last 25 years.

This accurately reflects the global trend towards declining fertility rates, particularly in many regions of the world as access to education and contraception improves, and different economic and social dynamics come into play.