Demographic Trends: Births

Question 1

What was the birth rate in 1900?

Answer 1

28.7

Question 2

What was the total fertility rate in 2014?

Answer 2

1.83

Question 3

In 1900, what percentage of babies died in the first year?

Answer 3

15%

Question 4

What are the two factors determining the birth rate?

Answer 4

• the proportion of women who are of childbearing age, how fertile they are

Question 5

The birth rate is recent years is a lot lower than in the past, what are the three trends that contribute to this?

Answer 5

• more UK born women are remaining childless
• women are postponing having children (and fertility rates are lower for older women)
• the proportion of women of childbearing age born outside of the UK is increasing

Question 6

Since 1900 - 2001 there was a decline in the birth rate, what are the four main reasons for this?

Answer 6

• changes in the position of women
• decline in the infant mortality rate
• children have become an economic liability
• child ‘centredness’

Question 7

In 1900, what percentage of babies died in the first year?

Answer 7

15%

Question 8

List some of the reasons for the decline in the infant mortality rate

Answer 8

• better housing/ sanitation
• better nutrition
• better knowledge/ hygiene/ child welfare
• improved services for parents

Question 9

Why have children become an economic liability?

Answer 9

• laws banning child labour
• introducing mandatory schooling
• raising school leaving age
• changing norms relating to how much children expect from their parents

Question 10

What has the increasing child centredness of the family meant in terms of family size?

Answer 10

• it means that families have become smaller as the attitude has shifted from ‘quantity’ to ‘quality’ which means parents have fewer children but can them more attention and resources

Question 11

There has been a slight increase in the birth rate since 2001, what is the main reason for this?

Answer 11

• the increase in immigration