Final answer:
The population decreased by approximately 10,900 people from 2015 to 2020.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the population decrease from 2015 to 2020, we need to calculate the population in 2015 and 2020 and then find the difference between them.
The population in 2015 would be the population in 2010 (144,000) plus the growth from 2010 to 2015. To calculate the growth, we multiply the population in 2010 by the growth rate of 8% (0.08), giving us a growth of 11,520.
Therefore, the population in 2015 would be 144,000 + 11,520 = 155,520.
The population in 2020 would be the population in 2015 (155,520) minus the decrease from 2015 to 2020.
To calculate the decrease, we multiply the population in 2015 by the decrease rate of 7% (0.07), giving us a decrease of 10,886.4.
Therefore, the population in 2020 would be 155,520 - 10,886.4 = 144,633.6.
To find the population decrease, we subtract the population in 2020 from the population in 2015: 155,520 - 144,633.6 = 10,886.4. Rounded to the nearest 100 people, the population decreased by 10,900 people.