To determine the most likely cause of Japan's negative population growth rate, we need to examine the demographic information given in the chart and assess the factors that typically influence population growth.
Factors to Look at:
1. Fertility Rate (the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime)
2. Life Expectancy (the average number of years a person is expected to live)
Given Data:
- Population Growth Rate:
- Japan: -0.10%
- Uganda: 3.32%
- Mexico: 1.07%
- Global Average: 1.10%
- Fertility Rate:
- Japan: 1.39 children per woman
- Uganda: 6.06 children per woman
- Mexico: 225 (Note: likely an error here, assuming it's 2.25)
- Global Average: 245 (Note: likely an error here, assuming it's 2.45)
- Life Expectancy:
- Japan: 84 years
- Uganda: 54 years
- Mexico: 75 years
- Global Average: 68 years
### Analyzing the Data:
1. Fertility Rate:
- Japan's fertility rate is 1.39, which is significantly lower than the global average and the rates of Uganda and Mexico. A low fertility rate means fewer births, leading to a potential decline in population size if the death rate is not offset by the number of births.
2. Life Expectancy:
- Japan's life expectancy is 84 years, which is higher than the global average and much higher than that of Uganda and Mexico. While high life expectancy indicates that people live longer, it does not directly contribute to population growth. Instead, it generally results in an older population.
Given the data, we can infer that Japan's high life expectancy means the population consists of more elderly individuals, who are past childbearing age, but the more critical factor affecting the negative growth rate is the low fertility rate. With fewer children being born, the population is not replenishing itself at a rate that would sustain or grow the population.
### Conclusion:
The most likely cause of Japan's negative population growth is its low fertility rate.
To answer the question:
- The most likely cause of Japan's negative population growth factor is:
low fertility rate
Therefore, the correct option is: low fertility rate.
