In 2000 a town's population was 36,000 people. In 2015 the town's population was 45,000 people. Which of the following statements IS FALSE? The population changed by 9,000 people from 2000 to 2015 . The population in 2000 is about 0.8 times as large as the population in 2015. The population in 2015 is about $125 \%$ of the population in 2000 . The population in 2015 is about 1.25 times as large as the population in 2000. The population changed by about 20\% from 2000 to 2015.

Step 1 ：First, we calculate the change in population from 2000 to 2015. The population in 2015 is 45,000 and the population in 2000 is 36,000. So, the change in population is \(45,000 - 36,000 = 9,000\). This means the statement 'The population changed by 9,000 people from 2000 to 2015' is true.

Step 2 ：Next, we calculate the ratio of the population in 2000 to the population in 2015. The ratio is \(\frac{36,000}{45,000} = 0.8\). This means the statement 'The population in 2000 is about 0.8 times as large as the population in 2015' is true.

Step 3 ：Then, we calculate the ratio of the population in 2015 to the population in 2000. The ratio is \(\frac{45,000}{36,000} = 1.25\). This means the statements 'The population in 2015 is about 125% of the population in 2000' and 'The population in 2015 is about 1.25 times as large as the population in 2000' are true.

Step 4 ：Finally, we calculate the percentage change in population from 2000 to 2015. The percentage change is \(\frac{9,000}{36,000} \times 100\% = 25\%\). This means the statement 'The population changed by about 20% from 2000 to 2015' is false.

Step 5 ：So, the false statement is 'The population changed by about 20% from 2000 to 2015'.