1. Question 1.Why are crude birth and death rates regarded as only broad indicators of fertility and mortality?

2. Definitions: Crude birth rate: the number of births per thousand population in a given year. Crude death rate: the number of deaths per thousand population in a given year.

3. Fertility: the natural capability of giving life. Mortality: the number of deaths in a given time.

4. Crude birth rate is a broad indicator as it does not take into account the age and sex distribution of the populationfor example:

5. >Those in the young dependant are not considered as they have not passed the child bearing age of 16-49. >Which means that those in the economically active affect fertility rates more than any age group as they are in the child bearing age

6. >Those in the elderly dependant affect fertility as the women are past the child bearing age and so are the men.

7. Death rate is also only a broad indicator as it is also heavily influenced by the age structure of the population for example:

8. >If they was a high death rate in the economically dependant the fertility rate will be affected as this is the child bearing stage.

9. >High crude death rates in the elderly dependant will not affect fertility as both male and female have passed the child bearing age people in this age group.