New
New
Population challenges: overpopulation and underpopulation
I can describe overpopulation and underpopulation and responses different countries take to these challenges.
Lesson 11 of 12
New
New
- Year 7
Population challenges: overpopulation and underpopulation
I can describe overpopulation and underpopulation and responses different countries take to these challenges.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Overpopulation is where there are not enough resources to meet the needs of the population.
- China's population grew rapdily in the twentieth century, resulting in the One Child Policy.
- Underpopulation is where there are not enough people for the resources available.
- The Australian government felt the country was underpopulated after WWII and encouraged people to live there.
Keywords
Population distribution - describes how the people in that population are spread out across the area
Resource - anything that can be used for a human need
Migration - moving from one place to another with the intention of staying there
Common misconception
Overpopulation and underpopulation are only about the number of people in a country.
It’s not just about numbers—it’s about how well a country’s resources match the needs of its population.
Use 'Our World in Data' website to see how the populations of different countries have changed over time.
Teacher tip
Equipment
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1. means the number of people living in a certain area.
means the number of people living in a certain area.
Q2.Which of the statements could mean 'overpopulation'?
Which of the statements could mean 'overpopulation'?
a country has a balanced population with enough resources to support everyone
a country has people spread evenly across the land
Q3.What can happen when an area is overpopulated?
What can happen when an area is overpopulated?
more jobs and better wages for everyone
less pollution
higher quality of life for everyone
Q4.Which of these might lead to underpopulation?
Which of these might lead to underpopulation?
people have more children
there are lots of jobs in the country
Q5.A is anything that can be used for a human need.
A is anything that can be used for a human need.
Q6.How can migration affect a country's population?
How can migration affect a country's population?
it can make a country overpopulated if too many people move there
it always reduces the population of both countries
it has no effect on population
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What does population distribution mean?
What does population distribution mean?
how resources are shared across a country
the number of people living in a country
the types of jobs available in a country
Q2.Which of the following is an example of a resource?
Which of the following is an example of a resource?
a person's job
the number of people living in a place
Q3.How does migration affect population distribution?
How does migration affect population distribution?
it makes everyone move to the same city
it has no effect on where people live
it reduces the total number of people in a country
Q4.Match the keywords with their definition.
Match the keywords with their definition.
