Final answer:
To find the percent decrease in population over a certain period of time, we can subtract the final population from the initial population, divide by the initial population, and multiply by 100. The percent decrease in this case is approximately 15.98%.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the percent decrease in population over a certain period of time, we can use the formula:
Percent decrease = ((initial population - final population) / initial population) * 100
Given that the initial population is 5175 thousand and the final population is 4300 thousand, we can substitute these values into the formula:
Percent decrease = ((5175 - 4300) / 5175) * 100 = 15.98%
Therefore, the percent decrease is approximately 15.98%, which is closest to option C) 16.83%.