Life expectancy rate and analysis63.51 years
This life expectancy is quite low, especially compared to the U.S. life expectancy (79.68 years years). The reason for this may be because Haiti is an underdeveloped country and a majority of the population does not have access to adequate healthcare, food, drinkable water or sanitary conditions. These factors lead to higher risk of disease meaning a shorter life expectancy. Death rate7.83 deaths/1,000 population
The death rate is surprisingly low, considering the poor conditions that many Haitians live in. It could be because the older population is not very high, meaning that less of the population is aging and dying since a large majority of the population are adolescents and children. Rate of natural increase and analysis1.17%
The rate of natural increase is relatively low, but is positive meaning that the population is still growing. Despite the fact that the population is still growing, it is at a relatively low rate. One reason is because of the 2010 earthquake which had a huge effect on the population growth, since the death rate spiked at that time. Push/pull factors and factors affecting urbanizationPUSH:
Haiti has a negative net migration rate meaning that more people are leaving Haiti rather than coming in. There are basically no pull factors in Haiti, since conditions are so severe. Since there are a lot more push factors than pull factors, Haiti has a negative net migration rate. More and more Haitians are leaving in hopes of being able to live in a country with a more stable government or economy and better living conditions. FACTORS ON URBANIZATION Most of the population now lives in urban areas. Haiti's rate of urbanization is a 3.68% annual rate of change. meaning that urban areas are growing and replacing rural ones. Reasons for this could be because rural areas have even less resources and jobs than urban areas. Haitians living in rural areas are often pulled to cities thinking that they will live a better life which expands the area and the population of these urban areas. However, most of these people that came from rural areas end up in slums since they do not have the education for a good paying job and end up having an informal job such as a market vendor. This is even the case for some of the population that have lived in the urban area for a long time. |
Birth rate and analysis22.31 births/1,000 population
The high birth rate could be because Haitians need children in order to have more labor helping the family, since many Haitians are in agriculture or the service sector and sell their own products/crops. The short life expectancy could also be a reason for the high birth rate -- more family members will be needed to work to replace the dying ones. Also, women in Haiti do not have many opportunities for education or a career,so they can focus on taking care of the family and have a larger family. Infant Mortality Rate and analysis47.98 deaths/1,000 live births
The high infant mortality rate indicates that Haitians may not have the medical care needed for newborn children. Many of these children aren't even born in sanitary conditions and don't receive any medication. Because babies are susceptible to more diseases, they will contract a disease much more easily if not vaccinated or given medicine. The poor living standards they are often born and grow in also influence their health a lot. Total fertility rate and analysis2.69 children born/woman
The total fertility rate is surprisingly low, especially based on the fact that Haiti is a LDC with a high birth rate. Net migration rate and analysis-2.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population
The net migration rate is negative, meaning more people are leaving the country than people that are immigrating in. This could mean that Haitians are leaving the country in hope of improving their lives, elsewhere. Reasons for this could be because of push factors such as an unstable government, poor economy, or more listed in "Push/Pull Factors". Stage of the demographic transition model and analysisHaiti is in the 2nd stage of the demographic model.
This can be seen by the still high birth rate and falling death rate. While Haiti still has a short life expectancy, it has slightly increased over the past years (2012, it was 62.7). These are all indicators of a stage 2 country. |
Population distribution and analysis
The concentrations of population are mainly around Port-au-Prince, areas near the Dominican Republic, and certain areas around the coast. Reasons for the heavy concentration around Port-au-Prince are that it is the capital and primate city of Haiti. Port-au-Prince is also one of the most urbanized parts of Haiti and it is near the coast. Regions near the coast may be heavily populated because of access to transportation and trade as well as a source of water. People may live near the Dominican Republic because many Haitians have chosen to migrate to the Dominican Republic where conditions are better and have been deported as a result of being an illegal migrant or not being accepted into the country. They often end up in southern Haiti or an area near the border.
Population pyramid and analysis
The pyramid has a large base, showing that there is a high population of Haitians in the younger ages. The pyramid shows that Haitians between ages 10-14 are the most populous which is the result of high birth rates. As you progress up the pyramid, it gets much smaller showing that life expectancy is low. Based on the fact that there is a broad base, meaning high birth rates, and thinner tip, meaning a low life expectancy, Haiti is a LDC. This is because LDCs often have higher birth rates because of needing more labor, or other reasons explained in "Birth Rate", and the life expectancy is low due to unsanitary conditions or other reasons further explained in "Life Expectancy".
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