Question

Examine three stages of demographic transition theory.

Hint:

When studying demographic transition, focus on how social, economic, and technological factors influence birth and death rates over time.

Answer 1

The demographic transition theory explains the changes in population dynamics through four stages:
1. Stage 1 – Pre-industrial Society: This stage is characterized by high birth rates and high death rates. The population remains relatively stable due to limited medical care, frequent famine, and high infant mortality. People often have many children to offset the high mortality rate.
2. Stage 2 – Early Industrialization: In this stage, death rates begin to fall due to improvements in medical care, sanitation, and food production. However, birth rates remain high, leading to rapid population growth. This stage is typically seen during early industrialization in many countries.
3. Stage 3 – Late Industrialization: Both birth rates and death rates begin to decline as industrialization continues, education improves, and families have fewer children. Population growth slows down and becomes more controlled.
4. Stage 4 – Post-Industrial Society: In the final stage, both birth rates and death rates are low, resulting in a stable or slowly growing population. This stage is observed in highly developed countries with good healthcare, high standards of living, and smaller family sizes.
The demographic transition theory helps explain the evolution of population growth as societies move through different stages of economic development and social change.