Population Forecasting - Advantages and Limitations

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  • Population projections give an indication on how many people will need goods and services in a given time in a given place or region.
  • It provides the basis for calculating the future land use needs.
  • The larger the area, the better the forecast results will be.
  • It can be calculated easily.
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  • The “better” the projection, the more specific data is needed for the calculation.
  • It gives only an indication of the future population, never an exact figure.
  • The calculation is based on assumptions that might change over time.
  • The migration component of population forecasts depends on many variables so that this data is extremely difficult to calculate.
  • The smaller the place the more unreliable the forecast will be.