Which statement about population growth rate is true?

• A. It is always positive.
• B. It can be negative depending on context.
• C. It can be a negative number.
• D. It is always zero.

Answer: (C)

Population growth rate shows how fast a population changes from one period to the next due to births, deaths, and migration. It can be positive when births and in-migration exceed deaths and out-migration, zero when they balance, or negative when the losses exceed the gains. So it can be a negative number. For example, if more people die or leave than are born or arrive, the population declines, producing a negative growth rate. The ideas that it’s always positive or always zero aren’t accurate because the mix of births, deaths, and migration can move the rate in either direction.