Cambridge O Level Pakistan Studies: Population and Employment — Practice Questions

These are original practice questions written in the style of Cambridge O Level Pakistan Studies (2059) assessment objectives. They are not taken from any past paper and are not endorsed by Cambridge International.

Related: Population and Employment study guide and revision notes

These two Paper 2 style questions cover Section 8 Population and employment, each worth 25 marks in parts (a) to (d). Question 1 is about growth, structure and migration; Question 2 about distribution, density and employment. Resource figures are illustrative unless a census source is named.

Question 1: Growth, structure and movement

Fig. 1.1 (illustrative): birth and death rates for Pakistan, per 1,000 per year.

Decade	Birth rate	Death rate
1960s	44	20
1980s	42	12
2000s	32	8
2020s	27	7

Fig. 1.2 (described): a population pyramid with a broad base, the widest bars in the 10–24 age groups, and a narrow top above age 60.

(a) (i) Using Fig. 1.1, calculate the natural increase in the 1960s. [1]

(ii) Using Fig. 1.1, describe the trend in the death rate. [2]

(iii) Using Fig. 1.2, describe two features of the population structure. [2]

(b) Explain two social and two economic reasons why families in rural Pakistan tend to have more children than families in cities. [4]

(c) (i) Explain the pull factors that attract migrants to Karachi. [3]

(ii) Describe the problems faced by people living in a katchi abadi. [3]

(d) Using Fig. 1.2 and your own knowledge, evaluate whether Pakistan’s large youth population is more of an advantage or a disadvantage for its future development. [10]

Question 2: Where people live and how they work

Fig. 2.1 (from the 2023 census, rounded): population and area by province.

Province	Population (millions)	Area (thousand km²)
Punjab	127.7	205
Sindh	55.7	141
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa	40.9	102
Balochistan	14.9	347

(a) (i) Using Fig. 2.1, calculate the population density of Balochistan to the nearest whole number. [1]

(ii) State the difference between distribution and density of population. [2]

(b) Explain the physical and economic factors that make northern and central Punjab densely populated. [4]

(c) (i) Describe the distribution of population within Gilgit-Baltistan (the Northern Area) and explain it. [3]

(ii) Explain the difference between unemployment and underemployment, using a rural example of each. [3]

(iii) Explain why the proportion of workers in primary occupations in Pakistan is falling. [3]

(d) “Improving education and training for women in rural areas is the most important way to increase Pakistan’s GDP.” How far do you agree? [9]

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Mark scheme: Question 1

(a) (i) 24 per 1,000 (44 − 20) [1]. Unit or “per 1,000” required.

(ii) The death rate fell throughout [1], most steeply between the 1960s and 1980s (from 20 to 12) and then more slowly, to 7 per 1,000 [1].

(iii) Any two: broad base, showing a high birth rate [1]; widest in the 10–24 groups, showing a large youth bulge [1]; narrow top, showing few elderly people and lower past life expectancy [1].

(b) One mark per developed reason, two social and two economic. Social: early marriage gives a longer child-bearing period [1]; preference for sons means families keep having children until sons are born [1]; low female literacy and less access to family planning in villages [1]. Economic: children work on the farm or with livestock from a young age [1]; children support parents in old age because there are few pensions [1]; children cost less to raise in villages than in cities [1].

(c) (i) Any three: jobs in factories, the port, construction and services [1]; higher wages than in rural areas [1]; schools, colleges and hospitals [1]; relatives and community networks already there [1]; a chance of informal-sector work even without qualifications [1].

(ii) Any three: poor-quality housing built of scrap materials [1]; no piped clean water or drainage, so disease spreads [1]; no legal title, so the risk of eviction [1]; overcrowding [1]; illegal electricity connections and fire risk [1]; distance from formal jobs [1].

(d) Levels: Level 3 (8–10) balanced, developed, uses Fig. 1.2 and reaches a judgement; Level 2 (4–7); Level 1 (1–3).

Advantage: a large working-age population can raise output and savings (a “demographic dividend”); young workers suit growing service and IT jobs; a big domestic market attracts investment; remittances from young emigrants. Disadvantage: millions need jobs each year and unemployment and underemployment are already high; heavy demand for schools, health care, housing and water; growing pressure on cities and katchi abadis; frustration and unrest if expectations are not met. A judgement such as “an advantage only if education, skills and job creation keep pace” earns the top level.

Mark scheme: Question 2

(a) (i) 43 people per km² (14.9 million ÷ 347,000 km² = 42.9) [1].

(ii) Distribution is the pattern of where people live [1]; density is the number of people per unit area, usually per km² [1].

(b) Physical (up to 2): flat alluvial plain easy to build and farm on [1]; fertile soils [1]; rivers and canals supplying water [1]. Economic (up to 2): irrigated farming supporting many people per hectare [1]; industrial cities such as Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Sialkot [1]; dense road and rail links and markets [1]. Maximum 4, at least one of each.

(c) (i) People live in narrow valley floors and on alluvial fans along the Indus, Gilgit and Hunza rivers, with towns such as Gilgit and Skardu [1]; the high mountains and glaciers are almost empty [1]; because only valley floors have flat land, soil and irrigation water from glacier streams, while high ground is too steep, cold and barren [1].

(ii) Unemployment: having no work while seeking it, for example a landless labourer who cannot find farm work [1–2]; underemployment: having some work but not enough, for example a labourer employed only during wheat harvest and cotton picking [1–2]. Maximum 3.

(iii) Any three: mechanisation (tractors, threshers, harvesters) needs fewer workers [1]; holdings split by inheritance become too small to support families [1]; young people migrate to cities for higher-paid secondary and tertiary jobs [1]; growth of services and education draws workers out of farming [1].

(d) Levels: Level 3 (7–9); Level 2 (4–6); Level 1 (1–3).

Agree: rural women are a large, under-used workforce; literacy is lowest among them; educated women earn more, start businesses, raise farm and livestock productivity, and have fewer, healthier children, which lowers dependency; training (e.g. in dairy, crafts, health work) adds to output. Disagree, or other priorities: benefits take years; jobs must exist for educated women; cultural barriers and distance to schools limit take-up; other factors such as reliable power, infrastructure, investment in industry and boys’ technical training also raise GDP. A Level 3 answer judges which matters most and why, for example that female education is essential but must be combined with job creation.

Frequently asked questions

How do I set out a density calculation? Divide population by area in the same units, show the working, round as asked and give the unit, for example “43 people per km²”.

What counts as an “economic” factor for population density? Anything to do with making a living: jobs, industry, irrigated farming, trade, transport links and markets.

How can I use a pyramid in a part (d) answer? Quote a feature, such as the wide 10–24 bars, and link it directly to the advantage or disadvantage you are arguing.