Which type of age-structure diagram indicates a rapidly increasing population?

A rapidly increasing population is represented by a particular age-structure diagram that typically has a broad base and tapers off sharply as you move up in age. This shape indicates a high number of individuals in younger age groups, suggesting that many individuals are in or entering their reproductive years, which leads to a greater number of births.

In this type of diagram, there are usually more individuals in the younger cohorts compared to older cohorts, reflecting a scenario where each generation has the potential to produce a large number of offspring. This is characteristic of populations that are experiencing exponential growth, often due to favorable conditions such as ample resources or low mortality rates among younger individuals.

In contrast, other types of diagrams depict different population dynamics. A stable population would show evenly distributed age groups, a declining population would have fewer young individuals relative to older ones, and a slowly increasing population would have a more gradual slope rather than the steep base indicating rapid growth. Thus, the shape of the age-structure diagram is key to understanding population trends, with a rapidly increasing population clearly showing a large base.