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Percentage and Geography Worksheet

KS3 / GCSEGeography20 questions

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Use your knowledge of percentages to answer these geography questions. Show your working clearly.

  1. 1. A city has a population of 450,000. 18% of the population are under 16. How many people in the city are under 16?

  2. 2. A country has a total population of 68 million. 83% of the population lives in urban areas. How many people live in urban areas?

  3. 3. A country has a total land area of 24,000 km². Farmland covers 9,600 km². What percentage of the country's land area is farmland?

  4. 4. A region has 50,000 hectares of land. Urban areas cover 12,500 hectares, farmland covers 27,500 hectares, and forests cover the rest. What percentage of the land is forest?

  5. 5. In 2022, 40% of the UK's electricity came from renewable sources. The total electricity generated was 300 TWh. How many TWh were from renewable sources?

  6. 6. A country generates 480 TWh of electricity per year. Of this, 25% comes from wind, 18% from solar, and 12% from hydropower. How many TWh come from sources other than these three renewables?

  7. 7. A rainforest area covered 2,400 km² in 2010. By 2020, deforestation had reduced this to 1,800 km². Calculate the percentage decrease in forest cover.

  8. 8. A country's forested area was 85,000 km² in 2000. By 2020 it had fallen by 14%. What area of forest remained in 2020?

  9. 9. A city had a population of 280,000 in the 2011 census. By the 2021 census the population was 322,000. Calculate the percentage increase in population.

  10. 10. A country's population was 14.5 million in 1990. By 2020 it had grown by 38%. What was the population in 2020?

  11. 11. In one year, 4,200 people moved into a town and 3,150 people moved out. The town's total population at the start of the year was 42,000. What was the net migration rate as a percentage of the starting population?

  12. 12. A country receives 62,000 immigrants in a year. 35% come from within the European continent. How many immigrants came from within Europe?

  13. 13. A developing country had a literacy rate of 64% in 2005. By 2020, the literacy rate had risen to 81%. Calculate the percentage point increase.

  14. 14. A region has a population of 5,000,000. 72% have access to clean drinking water. How many people do not have access to clean drinking water?

  15. 15. A country's urban population grew from 12 million to 16.8 million over 20 years. Calculate the percentage increase in the urban population.

  16. 16. In a survey of 1,600 people about climate change, 68% said they were concerned. 45% of those who were concerned said they had changed their behaviour as a result. How many people both felt concerned and had changed their behaviour?

  17. 17. A country's average annual temperature was 14.2°C in 1990 and 15.1°C in 2020. By what percentage did the temperature increase? Give your answer to 1 decimal place.

  18. 18. A country produces 4.8 million tonnes of waste per year. 42% is recycled, 28% goes to landfill, and the rest is incinerated. How many tonnes are incinerated?

  19. 19. In 2010, a lake covered 1,250 km². By 2020, increased evaporation due to rising temperatures had reduced the lake's area by 28%. What was the lake's area in 2020?

  20. 20. A coastal town has 3,200 homes. After a flooding risk assessment, 12.5% are identified as at high risk of flooding, 30% as medium risk, and the rest as low risk. How many homes are classified as low risk?

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Worked Answers

  1. 1. 81,000 people

    18% of 450,000 = 0.18 × 450,000 = 81,000

  2. 2. 56.44 million people

    83% of 68,000,000 = 0.83 × 68,000,000 = 56,440,000

  3. 3. 40%

    9,600 ÷ 24,000 × 100 = 40%

  4. 4. 20% forest

    Forest = 50,000 − 12,500 − 27,500 = 10,000 hectares. % = 10,000 ÷ 50,000 × 100 = 20%

  5. 5. 120 TWh

    40% of 300 = 0.40 × 300 = 120 TWh

  6. 6. 216 TWh from other sources

    Three renewables total = 25% + 18% + 12% = 55%. Other sources = 45%. 45% of 480 = 0.45 × 480 = 216 TWh

  7. 7. 25% decrease

    Change = 2,400 − 1,800 = 600 km². % change = 600 ÷ 2,400 × 100 = 25%

  8. 8. 73,100 km²

    85,000 × 0.86 = 73,100 km²

  9. 9. 15% increase

    Change = 322,000 − 280,000 = 42,000. % change = 42,000 ÷ 280,000 × 100 = 15%

  10. 10. 20.01 million

    14.5 million × 1.38 = 20.01 million

  11. 11. Net migration rate of 2.5%

    Net migration = 4,200 − 3,150 = 1,050. Rate = 1,050 ÷ 42,000 × 100 = 2.5%

  12. 12. 21,700 immigrants from Europe

    35% of 62,000 = 0.35 × 62,000 = 21,700

  13. 13. 17 percentage points

    81% − 64% = 17 percentage points

  14. 14. 1,400,000 people without access

    Without access = 100% − 72% = 28%. 28% of 5,000,000 = 1,400,000

  15. 15. 40% increase

    Change = 16.8 − 12 = 4.8 million. % change = 4.8 ÷ 12 × 100 = 40%

  16. 16. 489 people

    Concerned = 68% of 1,600 = 1,088. Changed behaviour = 45% of 1,088 = 489.6 ≈ 489 (rounding down, as people must be whole numbers)

  17. 17. 6.3% increase

    Change = 15.1 − 14.2 = 0.9°C. % change = 0.9 ÷ 14.2 × 100 = 6.338... = 6.3%

  18. 18. 1.44 million tonnes incinerated

    Recycled + landfill = 42% + 28% = 70%. Incinerated = 30%. 30% of 4.8 million = 1.44 million tonnes

  19. 19. 900 km²

    1,250 × 0.72 = 900 km²

  20. 20. 1,840 homes at low risk

    High + medium = 12.5% + 30% = 42.5%. Low risk = 57.5%. 57.5% of 3,200 = 0.575 × 3,200 = 1,840

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