In age structure diagrams, a rapidly growing country is most likely to have a larger number of individuals in which age groups?

• A. The oldest age groups
• B. The middle age groups
• C. The youngest age groups
• D. A uniform distribution across all ages

Answer: (C)

Age structure diagrams show how a population is spread across different age groups. When a country is growing rapidly, births are high, so many new individuals appear in the youngest cohorts. That creates a pyramid with a broad base, meaning a large number of children and young people relative to older age groups. Life expectancy and past fertility shape the older cohorts, but in rapid growth the youngest dominate. A uniform distribution or large older groups would indicate slower or aging growth, not rapid growth. So the most common pattern is a large number of individuals in the youngest age groups.