What is the period of rapid population growth called that lies between a pre-industrial stable population with high birth and death rates and a modern stable population with low fertility and mortality?
Correct answer C. Demographic transition
Topic / 60 questions
Population And Development MCQs
Population And Development MCQs are multiple-choice questions on how population size, growth and structure relate to economic development, including theories such as Malthus's and measures like the dependency ratio. They help CSS, PMS, PPSC and economics lecturer candidates, with a strong focus on Pakistan. Every question shows its answer instantly, supporting quick and reliable revision.
- Miscellaneous Economics 737
- Basic of Economics 430
- Markets, Efficiency And The Public Interest 167
- Agriculture & Irrigation System of Pakistan 126
- Market 87
- Macroeconomic Issues and Analysis 75
- Money, Interest Rates And Output 73
- Introduction To Economics 70
- Population And Development 62
- Profit Maximizing Under Perfect Competition And Monopoly 56
- Income Inequality 52
- Non-Tariff Trade Barriers 48
- Aggregate Supply, Unemployment And Inflation 45
- Natural Resources and the Environment Toward Sustainable Development 44
- Costs , Supply And Perfect Competition 44
- Human Capital 42
- Labour Market 39
- Monopoly 35
- Long Term Economic Growth 30
- Inflation & Productivity 30
- Regional Trading Arrangements 29
- Characteristics and Institutions of Developing Countries 24
- Oligopoly 23
- Consumer Theory vs. Real Consumers 20
- Applied Microeconomics 20
- Alternative Theories Of The Firm 20
- Public Goods 20
- Balance of Payments, Aid and Foreign Investment 19
- Prices, Wages & Taxes 19
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- Budget Deficits And The Trade Balance 18
- Macroeconomic Policy Tools 18
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- Application of Economics 16
- Production Factors 16
- Monopoly & Competition 15
- Capital Formation, Investment Choice, Information Technology, And Technical Progress 15
- Monetary, Fiscal And Incomes Policy, And Inflation 15
- Average And Total Cost 14
- Poverty, Malnutrition, And Income Inequality 12
- Monetary Union 10
For most of human history, at roughly what annual rate did the population grow?
Correct answer D. 0.002%
Which of the following is NOT a likely cost of high fertility and rapid population growth?
Correct answer D. Increasing returns to natural resources with a direct impact on average food consumption
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Roughly what proportion of the world’s population lives in less developed countries (LDCs)?
Correct answer C. 80%
What was Malthus’s theory about population?
Correct answer D. Increased geometrically, outstripping food supply which grew arithmetically
In 2000, roughly what share of the world’s population lived in China and India combined?
Correct answer C. 40%
Family planning programmes, together with demand for birth control driven by urbanisation, modernisation, development and more education, have contributed to what?
Correct answer C. A decline in fertility
Which statement about Julian Simon’s view of technological change is correct?
Correct answer B. He assumed the classical view of technological change
Which of the following are prototype international agricultural research centres: I. CIMMYT (maize and wheat), II. IRRI (rice), III. Synthetic Rubber Research Institute, IV. Center for International Agricultural Production Control?
Correct answer A. I and II only
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What is the aim of integrated pest management (IPM)?
Correct answer B. Reduce yield losses by pests while minimizing the negative effects of pest control
What is the ratio of the non-working population (under 15 and over 64) to the working-age population called?
Correct answer C. Dependency ratio
A population is described as stationary when its growth rate is what?
Correct answer A. Zero
Who wrote An Essay on the Principle of Population?
Correct answer B. Thomas Robert Malthus
Julian Simon’s model is consistent with which population policy?
Correct answer C. A laissez-faire population policy
What name is given to the development of high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of wheat and rice?
Correct answer C. The Green Revolution
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What does the total fertility rate (TFR) measure?
Correct answer A. The number of children born to the average woman during her reproductive years
Which statement about children in a peasant society is NOT true?
Correct answer C. Children place more economic demands on a peasant family than on an urban family
Which of the following is NOT an example of a global public good?
Correct answer C. The drilling of oil in the Arctic
Economists in India, Pakistan, the Philippines and Mexico argue that foodgrain output would not have kept pace with population growth over recent decades without what?
Correct answer D. High-yielding seed varieties used with fertilisers, pesticides and irrigation
During the 2000s and early 2010s, where did Pakistan rank among the world’s countries by population?
Correct answer A. 6th
About Population And Development MCQs
Theory forms one part of this category. Questions cover the very slow population growth that marked most of human history, Thomas Malthus's argument that population tends to outgrow food supply, and the contrasting optimism of Julian Simon, who saw people as the ultimate resource. The dependency ratio, comparing the non-working young and old with the working-age population, is also tested, along with other basic demographic measures.
A second group focuses on Pakistan's demography. Questions ask about the most and second most densely populated provinces, language groups such as Punjabi speakers, the rural share of the population, the proportion of older people and Pakistan's world ranking by population. Because census figures are revised over time, confirm the latest official numbers before your exam while using these questions to learn the key concepts.
Key facts to remember
- Malthus argued that population grows geometrically while food supply grows arithmetically.
- The dependency ratio compares people under 15 and over 64 with the working-age population.
- Julian Simon argued that human ingenuity makes population the ultimate resource.
- Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan.
- The demographic transition model links falling death and birth rates to economic development.
Exams that include Population And Development MCQs
Pakistan
- CSS
- PMS
- FPSC
- PPSC
- SPSC
- Lecturer tests
India
- UGC NET
- UPSC CSE
- State PSC exams
Bangladesh
- BCS
- Government job tests
- University admission tests (DU, RU, JU)
How to prepare for Population And Development MCQs
- Compare Malthusian and optimistic views of population in a short table, noting each thinker's main argument and policy implication.
- Learn the formula for the dependency ratio and practise calculating it from simple age group figures.
- Keep census-based Pakistan figures in a dated note, and update them whenever new official data is released.
- Draw the demographic transition model with its stages, as questions often ask which stage has high birth and falling death rates.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Malthusian theory of population?
Thomas Malthus argued that population tends to grow geometrically, such as 1, 2, 4, 8, while food production grows only arithmetically, such as 1, 2, 3, 4. He believed this would lead to shortages unless population was checked by preventive measures like delayed marriage or by positive checks such as famine and disease.
How many Population And Development MCQs are on MCQs360?
MCQs360 has 62 Population And Development MCQs, each with an instant answer. You can practise free with no sign-up, and combine this set with macroeconomic issues and introduction to economics for complete economics preparation. Short daily sets help.
Which exams ask Population And Development MCQs?
These questions appear in CSS and PMS economics and Pakistan affairs papers, and in FPSC, PPSC and SPSC tests for economist and lecturer posts. In India they feature in UGC NET Economics and UPSC CSE. In Bangladesh they appear in BCS and government job tests that cover development economics.
What is the dependency ratio?
The dependency ratio is the number of dependants, usually people aged under 15 and over 64, divided by the working-age population aged 15 to 64, often expressed per 100. A high ratio means each worker supports more dependants, which can place pressure on public services and savings.
Last reviewed October 2026