Negative population growth refers to

• A. an increase in population due to high fertility
• B. the actual decline in population due to births below replacement or emigration
• C. a stable population with no net change
• D. a decline caused only by emigration

Answer: (B)

Negative population growth means the population is getting smaller over time. It happens when the number of births is not enough to replace those who die, and/or when more people leave a country than come in (emigration). If fertility stays below the replacement level for a long period, the population will shrink, even with some immigration. Replacement level fertility is roughly 2.1 children per woman in many places, so births below that leave fewer people to replace the previous generation, leading to decline. Emigration reduces the population on its own, but it isn’t the only path to decline—birth rates below replacement can cause a decrease as well, and both factors can occur together.