Population pyramids
- Related lesson plans
A population pyramid, also called "age pyramid", is a horizontal bar graph that illustrates the distribution of different age groups in a population, showing the number of males on the left and of females on the right.
For more details, see What is a population pyramid?
Animated population pyramids (Flash)
Watch how a population's age structure changes over time:
- 1901 to 2001 – Canada and the provinces and territories
- 1956 to 2006 – Canada and the provinces and territories
- 1971 to 2056 – projection for Canada
The shape of the pyramid for a particular province or territory relates to the rate of its population's growth or decline. See Types of animated population pyramids.
Static population pyramids
- Interactive tool: Compare 2006 pyramids for different geographic areas (Note)
- See different figures, including comparisons of 2001 and 2006 pyramids for provinces, territories and selected metropoliatan areas.
Articles
- Summary: Canada's population by age and sex (The Daily)
- Feature article: Portrait of the Canadian Population in 2006 by Age and Sex
Types of animated population pyramids
The age-sex distribution of a population is an important feature to analyse if you wish to understand the demographic situation of a country or region.
Vivian Z. Klaff sets out the following types of age structure models in Dem-Lab: Teaching Demography Through Computers, 1992 Prentice Hall:
Expansive — a broad base, indicating a high proportion of children, a rapid rate of population growth, and a low proportion of older people. Nunavut (Flash) is an example of an expansive type population pyramid.
Stable — a structure with indentations that even out and reflect slow growth over a period. Northwest Territories (Flash) is an example of a stable type population pyramid.
Stationary — a narrow base and roughly equal numbers in each age group, tapering off at the older ages. Manitoba (Flash) is an example of a stationary type population pyramid.
Declining — a high proportion of aged persons and declining numbers. Newfoundland and Labrador (Flash) is an example of a declining type population pyramid.
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