Glossary
Crude Birth Rate (CBR)
The number of live births per 1,000 people in a population in a given year.
Example:
A high Crude Birth Rate in a developing nation might indicate a lack of access to contraception or a cultural preference for larger families.
Crude Death Rate (CDR)
The number of deaths per 1,000 people in a population in a given year.
Example:
Improvements in public health and sanitation often lead to a significant drop in the Crude Death Rate.
Demographic Transition Model (DTM)
A visual representation illustrating how a country's population changes over time as it undergoes economic and social development.
Example:
Understanding the Demographic Transition Model helps predict future population trends and resource demands in nations like India or Japan.
Family planning
The practice of controlling the number of children in a family and the intervals between their births, often through contraception and education.
Example:
Increased access to family planning resources is a key factor in the decline of birth rates in Stage 3 of the DTM.
Industrial Stage
A societal stage where death rates continue to drop due to modernization, and birth rates begin to decline due to factors like education and family planning, slowing population growth.
Example:
The shift from agrarian to urban lifestyles during the Industrial Stage often correlates with smaller family sizes.
Infant mortality rate
The number of deaths of infants under one year old per 1,000 live births.
Example:
A high infant mortality rate often compels families in developing regions to have more children to ensure some survive to adulthood.
Population growth
The increase in the number of individuals in a population over time, determined by the balance between birth rates and death rates.
Example:
Rapid population growth can put immense strain on a country's natural resources and infrastructure.
Post-industrial Stage
A societal stage characterized by low birth and death rates, leading to population stabilization or decline, corresponding to Stage 4 and potentially Stage 5 of the DTM.
Example:
In the Post-industrial Stage, countries often focus on service-based economies and face challenges like an aging workforce.
Pre-industrial Stage
A societal stage characterized by high birth rates to offset high infant mortality and limited resources, corresponding to Stage 1 of the DTM.
Example:
In the Pre-industrial Stage, families often had many children to ensure some survived to support them in old age.
Stage 1: High Stationary
The initial stage of the DTM characterized by high crude birth rates and high crude death rates, resulting in very low or stable population growth.
Example:
Historically, nomadic hunter-gatherer societies would have been in Stage 1: High Stationary, with life expectancy being quite low.
Stage 2: Early Expanding
A stage where the crude death rate begins to decrease due to improved conditions, while the crude birth rate remains high, leading to rapid population growth.
Example:
Many sub-Saharan African countries are currently in Stage 2: Early Expanding, experiencing significant population booms as healthcare access improves.
Stage 3: Late Expanding
A stage where the crude birth rate starts to decline due to factors like urbanization and education, while the crude death rate continues to fall, resulting in slowing population growth.
Example:
As Brazil industrialized and women gained more access to education and family planning, it transitioned into Stage 3: Late Expanding.
Stage 4: Low Stationary
A stage characterized by low crude birth rates and low crude death rates, leading to a stable or very slow population growth rate.
Example:
Most developed nations, such as Germany or Japan, are in Stage 4: Low Stationary, facing challenges related to an aging population.
Stage 5: Declining
A proposed stage where the crude birth rate falls below the crude death rate, leading to a shrinking population.
Example:
Some demographers suggest that countries like Japan, with its very low birth rate and aging population, are entering or are already in Stage 5: Declining.
Transitional Stage
A societal stage where industrialization begins, leading to a drop in death rates due to improved conditions, while birth rates remain high, causing rapid population growth.
Example:
During the Transitional Stage, a country might see a significant increase in its youth population due to declining infant mortality.
Urbanization
The process by which populations shift from rural to urban areas, often leading to changes in lifestyle, education, and family size.
Example:
Urbanization can lead to lower birth rates as children are no longer needed for agricultural labor and living costs increase in cities.