What term means change in the characteristics of a population?

• A. Emigration
• B. Famine
• C. Reformer
• D. Demographic Change

Answer: (D)

Demographic change refers to how the makeup of a population shifts over time. It covers changes in how many people there are, the age structure, birth and death rates, and patterns of migration. For example, if many people are born and fewer die, the population might grow; if a lot of people move away and birth rates are low, the population may shrink or age. Emigration describes people leaving a country, not the overall characteristics of the population. Famine is a severe food shortage, which affects people but isn’t the term for changes in population makeup. A reformer is someone who promotes changes, not a description of population characteristics.