What is a demographic transition? What are its five stages? Describe each stage, including its consequences for population growth

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

A demographic transition is a theoretical model of economic and cultural change proposed to describe and explain the declining death rates and birth rates that occur in countries as they develop. The first stage is a stable pre-development period, with high birth and death rates that offset each other. The second stage is the developing stage characterized by declining death rates due to increased food production and improved medical care. Birth rates are still high, as citizens have not yet grown used to the new economic and social conditions, resulting in a surge in population growth. The third stage is the modernizing period. Widespread industrialization creates opportunities for employment outside the home, and educational opportunities improve. Children become less of a critical economic asset, and birth rates begin to fall. The fourth stage is the developed period, in which a stable population arises, with low birth and death rates. From there, many countries enter a fifth stage called the post-development period, in which populations begin to decline as birth rates continue to drop, while death rates remain constant.