Lesson Y7-U04-L06

Y7-U04-L06 Reading a Population Pyramid Quiz: KS3 Geography, Unit 4

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson Y7-U04-L06, Reading a Population Pyramid: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Geography (National Curriculum), Unit 4: Year 7: Population and Settlement, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is a population pyramid?

    • A map that shows the height of mountains in a country
    • A pair of bar graphs back to back, split by age and sex
    • A pie chart of the jobs people do in a country
    • A line showing rainfall over one year

  2. Which side of a population pyramid shows the males?

    • The middle of the pyramid
    • The top of the pyramid
    • The right side
    • The left side

  3. Which age group is shown at the very bottom of a population pyramid?

    • The oldest age group, such as 70 and over
    • The youngest age group, such as 0-9 years
    • The middle-aged group, such as 40-49
    • The total population of the country

  4. What does the bottom axis of a population pyramid measure?

    • The number of babies born each year
    • The height of the land in metres
    • The distance from the source of the river
    • The percentage of people in each age band

  5. What does a wide base tell us about a country?

    • It has no males in the population
    • It has many elderly people and a long life expectancy
    • It has very few people in total
    • It has many young children and a high birth rate

  6. What does a narrow top tell us about a country?

    • It has many children and a high birth rate
    • It has few elderly people and a lower life expectancy
    • It has very large numbers of elderly people
    • It has no people aged under 70

  7. On a population pyramid, what does a bar reaching a given percentage on the percentage axis show?

    • The total number of people in the country
    • The average life expectancy in years
    • The share of people in that age band
    • The number of babies born each year

  8. Japan's pyramid has a narrow base. What does this suggest about its birth rate?

    • It is high, because more children are born
    • It is low, because fewer children are being born
    • It cannot be known from a pyramid at all
    • It is the same as Nigeria's birth rate

  9. Which pyramid shape is typical of a young, fast-growing population?

    • A narrow base and a wide top
    • A flat shape with the same bar at every age
    • A wide base that narrows to a small top
    • A pyramid with no bars at the top at all

  10. Nigeria's pyramid has a wide base and a narrow top. What does this tell us?

    • It has an ageing population with many elderly
    • It has a young population with many children
    • It has no children at all
    • It has the same number of people in every age band

  11. Japan's pyramid is taller and narrower, with a wider top. What does this tell us?

    • It has no people over the age of 40
    • It has a population that is shrinking fast from war
    • It has many children and a very high birth rate
    • It has an ageing population with many elderly people

  12. On a population pyramid, what do the two sides usually show?

    • Urban and rural people, split by area
    • Males and females, split by age band
    • Rich and poor people, split by income
    • Births and deaths, split by year

  13. Why does Nigeria's pyramid have a wider base than Japan's?

    • Nigeria has a lower birth rate, so fewer children are born
    • Nigeria has no children, so its base is wider
    • Nigeria has a higher birth rate, so more children are born
    • Japan has more children, so its base is narrower

  14. A country's base gets narrower over 30 years. What is most likely happening to its birth rate?

    • It is becoming infinite, as more babies are born
    • It stays the same, because the base is always fixed
    • It is falling, so fewer babies are born each year
    • It is rising, so more babies are born each year

  15. Why might a country with a very wide base need to build more schools?

    • Because there are many elderly people who need to learn to read
    • Because there are many young children who will need school places
    • Because the country has no children to teach at all
    • Because schools are only needed in cities, not countries

  16. A pupil says a wide base at the bottom of a pyramid means lots of elderly people. Which correction is right?

    • A wide base means there are no males in the country, so the pyramid is one-sided
    • A wide base means the country is very tall, with the highest bars stacked near the top
    • A wide base means many young children, while a wide top means many elderly people
    • A wide base means the bottom axis is measured in people rather than percentages

  17. A pyramid's top is very narrow. Which group is smallest in that country?

    • Children aged 0-9
    • Females of school age
    • People aged 70 and over
    • Males of working age

  18. Which clue best shows that a country has a young population?

    • A wide top with many people over 70
    • A narrow base with few children and many people over 70
    • A wide base with many children and a high birth rate
    • A narrow base and a wide top

  19. Which of these would most likely show an ageing population on a pyramid?

    • A pyramid where every age band is the same width
    • A wide base that narrows to a small top
    • A narrow base with a wide top
    • A pyramid with no males on the left

  20. Which statement correctly describes a population pyramid with a wide base?

    • A very low birth rate, so few babies are born
    • Many young children, so a young population
    • Many people aged 70 and over, so an old population
    • A very small total population of few people

All KS3 Geography quizzes