The ratio between the number of people to the size of land is known a…

The ratio between the number of people to the size of land is known as:

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 2

The correct answer is Option (2) → Density of population

Option (1) Population distribution — Incorrect. Distribution is the way people are spaced over the earth’s surface, where they live and where they do not. It is a pattern, not a ratio.

Option (2) Density of population — Correct. Each unit of land can support only a limited number of people, so we compare the number of people with the size of the land. This ratio is the density of population, usually given in persons per sq km.

Option (3) Growth of population — Incorrect. Growth is the change in population of an area between two points of time.

Option (4) Demographic transition — Incorrect. It is a theory of how a population moves from high births and deaths to low births and deaths as a society develops.

Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2025 on 22-05-2025 (Slot 1), and in CUET (UG) 2023 on 11-06-2023 (Slot 3).

NCERT (2025-26): “PATTERNS OF POPULATION DISTRIBUTION IN THE WORLD … Patterns of population distribution and density help us to understand the demographic characteristics of any area. The term population distribution refers to the way people are spaced over the earth’s surface.…”

“DENSITY OF POPULATION … Each unit of land has limited capacity to support people living on it. Hence, it is necessary to understand the ratio between the numbers of people to the size of land. This ratio is the density of population.…”

“Some Basic Concepts of Population Geography … Growth of Population : Change of population in particular area between two points of time is known as growth of population.…”

“DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION … Demographic transition theory can be used to describe and predict the future population of any area. The theory tells us that population of any region changes from high births and high deaths to low births and low deaths as society progresses from rural agrarian and illiterate to urban industrial and literate society.…”