Question

During demographic transition, what happens to the mortality rate? To the birth rate? Mortality rate: Birth rate:

Short answer

Mortality rate decreases, while birth rate initially stays high but decreases later on.

Step-by-step solution

Understand the Concept of Demographic Transition

Demographic transition is a model that describes population change over time. It consists of four stages: pre-industrial, transition, industrial, and post-industrial.

Identify Changes in Mortality Rate

During the demographic transition, the mortality rate tends to decrease, especially during the second stage (transition stage) due to improvements in healthcare, nutrition, and sanitation.

Identify Changes in Birth Rate

The birth rate also changes during demographic transition. Initially, it remains high, but it decreases in the later stages (industrial and post-industrial stages) due to factors like access to contraception, economic changes, and changes in social norms.

Key concepts

mortality rate

Mortality rate refers to the number of deaths in a population, usually expressed per 1,000 individuals per year. During the demographic transition, there's a significant change seen in the mortality rate. In the pre-industrial stage, mortality rates are high due to limited healthcare, poor nutrition, and inadequate sanitation. As we move into the transition stage, mortality rates begin to decline. This decline is largely due to improvements in healthcare, better access to medical treatments, advancements in scientific knowledge about diseases, more effective nutrition, and improved sanitation conditions.
Thus, during the demographic transition, we observe a substantial drop in mortality rates, especially during the transition stage.

birth rate

Birth rate is defined as the number of live births per 1,000 individuals per year. Similar to mortality rates, birth rates undergo noticeable changes during the demographic transition. In the pre-industrial stage, birth rates are high, which counterbalances the equally high mortality rates and maintains population stability. As societies progress into the industrial stage, birth rates begin to drop. Factors contributing to this decline include increased access to contraception, women entering the workforce, economic shifts that favor smaller families, and changes in societal norms regarding family size.
By the post-industrial stage, the birth rate becomes relatively low, matching the low mortality rate, resulting in slower population growth.

population change

Population change during the demographic transition refers to the variations in population size and composition over time. In the initial pre-industrial stage, the population size remains relatively stable because high birth rates are offset by high mortality rates. As societies transition through the stages, this balance shifts. During the transition stage, the mortality rate decreases significantly, leading to a population boom as birth rates remain initially high. This period sees rapid population growth.
As we enter the industrial stage, birth rates start to decline, reducing the rate of population growth. Finally, in the post-industrial stage, both birth and mortality rates are low, leading to a more stable and slowly growing or even declining population.
This final stage results in an aging population, with longer life expectancies and smaller younger generations.