Demographic Transition Model

Question 1

What is the Demographic Transition Model?

Answer 1

Traces a country’s (or global) path from a period of high BRs & high DRs to a pattern of low BRs & low DRs
Shows the changes in BRs and DRs overtime

Demographic = Population
Transition = Gradual Change

Question 2

What are the 5 stages?

Answer 2

1. Development of and improvements in agriculture (food security)
2. Movement from rural to urban areas (urbanization)
3. Growth in the understanding of disease prevention and cures (healthcare)
4. Changes in the role of women in society (societal changes)
5. Changes to attitudes about family size (societal changes)

Question 3

Stage 1 - High Stationary

Answer 3

BR - High (~40)
-children don’t live long - high rate of infant/child mortality
-lack of contraception
-children needed for labour on farms

DR - High (~40)
-short life expectancy because of disease, famine, poor sanitation, food insecurity, and limited healthcare

Population - stationary

Society
-Hunter gathers
-Subsistence farmers - farming for yourself/family

Question 4

Stage 2 - Early Expanding

Answer 4

BR - High (~40)

DR - Declining (40→15)
-Better food storage methods - improved food security
-Improved education, health care, hygiene, sanitation

Population - starts increasing

Society
-Agrarian - still farmers, beginning commercial food production
-Rural to Urban migration begins

Question 5

Stage 3 - Late Expanding

Answer 5

BR - Declining (40 → below 20)
-less need for children due to increase life expectancy, use of technology and machines for manual labour
-children become more costly
-education about contraception

DR - Declining (15 → 10)

Population - increasing

Society
-rapid urbanization (movement to cities)
-female empowerment

Question 6

Stage 4 - Low Stationary

Answer 6

BR - Stationary (<10)
DR - Stationary (<10)
Population - Stable

Society
-life expectancy has increased and stabilized
-most people live in urban areas (>80% of population)
-more females working in full time careers, gender equality

Question 7

Stage 5 - Declining? Stable? Unknown?

Answer 7

BR/DR are relatively the same
TFR below RR
Population - Stable/Increase/Decrease

Society
-more old dependents than young
-aging society, or perhaps another baby boom - leading to population growth?

Question 8

Factors Influencing Population Growth

Answer 8

Two important relationships that help explain how the level of development of a country affects its population growth rates:
1. Fertility rate - strongest determinant;
2. As a country gets more wealthy (or ‘more developed’), fertility rates tend to fall

Therefore developmental factors influence fertility rate.
Examples:
Status of women
Education
Place of residence (rural vs. urban)
Religion
Maternal health
Economic Prosperity
Need for Children