AS & A Level Geography 9696 · Topic 4

Population: past paper questions

289 real questionsasked in 10 of the last 10 exam series2019–2025usually: Explain, Suggest, Describe, Compare, Outline

Real questions on population

The newest 20 of 289 written questions. Open one to see it on the real paper.

9696/21 · October/November 2025 · Q1a(i)[1]
state the crude birth rate in 2020
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9696/21 · October/November 2025 · Q1a(ii)[3]
describe the main changes in crude birth rate from 1950 to 2100.
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9696/21 · October/November 2025 · Q1b[2]
Suggest two reasons why birth rates are high in some countries.
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9696/21 · October/November 2025 · Q1c[4]
Explain why a government may want to increase the birth rate of their country. Migration
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9696/21 · October/November 2025 · Q4a(i)[3]
Define the term ‘dependency ratio’.
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9696/21 · October/November 2025 · Q4a(ii)[4]
Outline two factors which cause an ageing population structure.
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9696/21 · October/November 2025 · Q4b[8]
With the aid of examples, explain the challenges for the government of a country with an ageing population structure.
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9696/21 · October/November 2025 · Q4c[15]
With the aid of examples, assess the extent to which economic development is the main factor affecting life expectancy. Migration/Settlement dynamics
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9696/22 · October/November 2025 · Q1a(i)[1]
state the crude death rate in 1970
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9696/22 · October/November 2025 · Q1a(ii)[3]
describe the main changes in crude death rate from 1950 to 2100.
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9696/22 · October/November 2025 · Q1b[2]
Suggest two reasons why death rates are high in some countries.
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9696/22 · October/November 2025 · Q1c[4]
Explain how falling death rates may influence birth rates in a country. Migration
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9696/22 · October/November 2025 · Q4a(i)[3]
Define the term ‘fertility rate’.
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9696/22 · October/November 2025 · Q4a(ii)[4]
Outline how two social factors influence fertility rates.
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9696/22 · October/November 2025 · Q4b[8]
With the aid of examples, explain how economic factors may result in low levels of fertility.
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9696/22 · October/November 2025 · Q4c[15]
‘The demographic transition model (DTM) is a useful way to understand population change over time.’ With the aid of examples, how far do you agree with this statement? Migration/Settlement dynamics
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9696/23 · October/November 2025 · Q1a[4]
Describe the relationship shown in Fig. 1.1.
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9696/23 · October/November 2025 · Q1b[2]
Suggest how life expectancy may influence birth rates in a country.
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9696/23 · October/November 2025 · Q2a[4]
Compare the changes in natural increase and net migration shown in Fig. 2.1.
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9696/23 · October/November 2025 · Q4a[7]
Describe how the structure of the population influences the dependency ratio for a country.
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What examiners said

There were few correct answers, as many candidates seemed unsure how to calculate the percentage and did not get marks for either their method or for achieving the correct answer.
— Examiner report, October/November 2023, 9696/21 Q1(a) (Cambridge)

Most candidates identified Africa and Asia as being the two continents that dominated the projected increase in population, and many described other elements of the diagram correctly.
— Examiner report, October/November 2023, 9696/21 Q1(b) (Cambridge)

Most responses did not go beyond a few simple statements. The best answers gave two or three points that had some development, for example ‘Increased population will require increased food supplies. Some countries may not be able to produce more and will have to rely on imports or food aid.’ Population/Migration
— Examiner report, October/November 2023, 9696/21 Q1(c) (Cambridge)

Practise this topic

Answer these questions online and get each one marked against the official mark scheme, with what you missed and how to fix it.

Practise these questions

In the syllabus

4.1 Natural increase as a component of population change

Natural increase rate, birth rate and death rate, fertility rate, and infant mortality rate.
Factors (social, economic, environmental and political) affecting levels of fertility and mortality.
The interpretation of age/sex structure diagrams.
Population structure (age, gender, dependency, and dependency ratio).

4.2 Demographic transition

Changes in birth rate and death rate over time.
A critical appreciation of the demographic transition model, Stages 1–5.
Issues of youthful populations and ageing populations.
Links between population and development: changes in infant mortality rate and life expectancy over time.

4.3 Population–resource relationships

The concept of food security. Causes and consequences of food shortages.
The roles of technology and innovation in development of food production. The role of constraints (e.g. war, climatic hazards) in relation to sustaining population.
The concept of carrying capacity.
Candidates should be able to critically evaluate the concept of optimum population including overpopulation and underpopulation.

4.4 The management of natural increase

Case study: candidates must study one country’s population policy regarding natural increase, showing the difficulties faced and evaluate the attempted solution(s). (The case study must include attempts to alter the natural increase rate and to manage the results of population change.)

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