Population can be defined statically in terms of its size, distribution, and the social categories that subdivide it. Theoretically, population counts can be made at any level of aggregation, but usually the accounting is done in relation to a political or geographic unit (commonly the nation). In this context, the overall count may be distinguished by age or sex, with these often attached to spatial criteria.
In addition to the breakdown according to demographic criteria, a population can be described in terms of its social structure. This allows researchers to assess the types of divisions that characterize particular societies. These would include distinctions among subgroups such as ethnicity, class, caste or clan. Both demographic and social structural categories are relevant to global change because they imply particular behavior. Regions with different age and sex distributions would likely have dissimilar birth rates, migration patterns and labor force participation, all of which would affect resource use and production.
The characteristics of population at any given moment will also affect its evolution. Various techniques allow social scientists to view population dynamically so that by calculating marriage, birth and death rates, predictions can be made about the future size of populations by region or by subgroup. The different rates in these areas are often related to health factors, which constitute an important component of population.
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