The arithmetic density of population is different from physiological density of population as : Show (a) Arithmetic density is the ratio of total population to the total area of the country or a part thereof. For example, the total population of India according to 2001 census is 1028.7 million living on a total area of 3.17 million square kilometres (excluding the area of Jammu and Kashmir illegally occupied by Pakistan and China) thus, the arithmetic density of India, according to 2011 census is 372 persons/km2 . The arithmetic density of population of India in 2001 is : = 325 persons per sq.km. It is most simple and widely used all over the world but it is a ‘crude measure’. (b) Physiological Density is different to Arithmetic density as physiological density is the ratio of total population to the cultivated area of the country. For example: The physiological density of India, according to 2011 census is 1594 persons/km2. According to 2001 census, the total population of India is 1,02,87,37,436 and the total cultivated area in the country is 14(28,190 sq km, therefore, the physiological density is : = 720 person per sq km. This is a very useful measure for an agricultural country like India. Remember the earlier comparison of Russia and Bangladesh? This is the section where we discuss the different ways of calculating the pressure that populations put onto the land that they inhabit. You’ll recall that we began by looking simply at people per country. This is a good way to start, but the limitations are fairly obvious. Countries that are physically larger can hold more people. We need to use a method that changes from a measure of overall population to some kind of per
capita measure. There are many of these and each has its merits.  Figure 2.17 | Arithmetic Density 201514 Author | David Dorrell Source | Original Work License | CC BY SA 4.0 Physiological density has the same numerator (population), but the denominator is different. Instead of using all the land in a country, it only accounts for arable (farmable) land (Figure 2.18). Places that are not used for agriculture- deserts, lakes, mountaintops and similar places – are subtracted from the land total. This is useful for demonstrating how much pressure is being put on the farmland that is available. Be aware that food that is gathered or hunted from non-agricultural land is not considered in this number. Figure 2.18 | Physiological Density 201515 Author | David Dorrell Source | Original Work License | CC BY SA 4.0 Agricultural density has the same denominator as physiological density, but has a different numerator. Instead of using the entire population, it only uses farmers (Figure 2.19). This provides a number that is a good measure of development, or rather it’s a good measure of underdevelopment. Developed countries have mechanized agriculture and few farmers per capita. Each farm tends to be large in order to generate a sufficient income. Places with high agricultural densities have more farmers per hectare, meaning that farms will likely produce less revenue. Of course, an underlying assumption of this number is the idea that people are growing food to earn a living. If they are eating the produce directly, outside the cash economy, then the comparison is less valid. Figure 2.19 | Agricultural Density 201516 Author | David Dorrell Source | Original Work License | CC BY SA 4.0 Related to food production is the concept of carrying capacity. Carrying capacity is simply how many people can live from a given piece of land. However, it’s not really that simple. Carrying capacity is not static throughout time. Not only do environmental characteristics change (due to desertification, for example) but technology changes as well. The carrying capacity of land in wealthy developed countries has expanded tremendously due to the application of technology. These technologies could be something as simple as irrigation ditches to something as complex as genetic modification of the plants and animals themselves. Carrying capacity is snapshot taken at a particular time. What is the difference between arithmetic density and physiological density?Arithmetic Density: basic calculation of total number of people living in a particular geographical area of land. Also known as real density. Physiological Density: calculation of total number of people in a particular geographical area of arable land.
What is the difference between arithmetic density physiological density and agricultural density?If we look at the arithmetic density, we come up with a population density of 1 person per kilometer (10,000/10,000). If we look at the agricultural density we come up with 1.5 people per kilometer (6,000/4,000). Finally, if we look at the physiological density, we come up with 2.5 people per kilometer (10,000/4,000).
What are the arithmetic physiological and agricultural population density?Arithmetic density is used to describe where people live in the world. Physiological density compares population to resources. Agricultural density measures economic efficiency of food production.
What are the 3 types of population density?The three methods for calculating population density are arithmetic, physiological and agricultural. The method used to calculate population density reveals different information about the pressure the population exerts on the land.
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