A population with a broad-based pyramid-shaped age structure is characteristic of which growth pattern?

• A. Declining
• B. Stable
• C. Growing rapidly
• D. Growing slowly

Answer: (C)

A broad-based, pyramid-shaped age structure means there are many more young people than older ones. That indicates a high birth rate and a large influx of people entering reproductive age, so the population is set to grow quickly as those young cohorts replace themselves and continue to have children. In contrast, a declining pattern would show a narrow base and an aging population, a stable pattern would look more rectangular with roughly equal numbers across ages, and growing slowly would have less dramatic differences between age groups. So the shape points to rapid population growth.