absolute population
Absolute population is the total number of inhabitants in a given place. This number is obtained from general surveys of the population. To reach this number, it is necessary to count all the people that inhabit the analyzed territory.
In Brazil, this task is the responsibility of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), which carries out the general census of the population every ten years. The so-called Census has the function of collecting information, such as the number of men, women, children and elderly people, where and how people live, profession, among other important data.
Countries with larger population absolute:
1° China: 1,345,750,973 inhabitants
2° India: 1,198,003,272 inhabitants
3° StatesUnited: 314,658780 inhabitants
4° Indonesia: 229,964,723 inhabitants
5° Brazil: 190,755,799 inhabitants
6° Pakistan: 180,808,096 inhabitants
7° Bangladesh: 162,220,762 inhabitants
8° Nigeria: 154,728,892 inhabitants
9° Russia: 140,873,647 inhabitants
10° Japan: 127,156,225 inhabitants
relative population
This demographic indicator is also known as demographic density or population density and is obtained by dividing the total absolute population of a given territory by the area in which that population is distributed. With this information, it is possible to analyze the proportion of the population in terms of occupation in relation to the territory.
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Calculating the relative population or demographic density of a given territory is easy. Note the explanation below:
*IBGE estimate
Difference between populous and town
A region can be very populous and not very populated. Those adjectives refer to distinct concepts. Let's see:
Populous (absolute population): is the total number of inhabitants of a given place.
town (relative population): the term refers to the relationship between the absolute population of the place and the area occupied by it.
In short, the term populous refers to the absolute population, that is, the total number of inhabitants. The term village also considers the distribution of people in the territory.
By Amarolina Ribeiro
Graduated in Geography
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
RIBEIRO, Amarolina. "Relative population and absolute population"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/geografia/populacao-relativa-populacao-absoluta.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.