1. The Demographic Transition
Model
What does it mean and what are the
reasons behind the trends?

2. Stage 1
The Birth Rate is………
HIGH
The Death rate is………..
HIGH
The natural Rate of Increase
is…….
LOW

3. Why is the Birth Rate High?
Social Reasons
• So many children die in infancy that parents have
more in the hope that several will survive

4. Why is the Birth Rate High?
Social Reasons (2)
• No Birth control or
family planning
• More children to
support the parents in
old age
• Children are regarded
as a sign of virility in
some cultures

5. Why is the Birth Rate high?
Economic Reasons
• Many children mean
more workers in the
fields (or factories)

6. Why is the Birth Rate high?
Political and Religious reasons
• Religious Beliefs (e.g. Roman Catholics,
Muslims and Hindus) encourage large
families
• If a government does not or cannot provide
education few will learn about family
planning.

7. Why is the Death Rate High?
• Famine, uncertain
food supplies, poor
diet,leading to
• Malnutrition and
• Malnutrition related
diseases

8. Why is the Death Rate High?
• Disease, eg Cholera, Plague etc
• Lack of medical care, few doctors,hospitals,
medicines
• Poor hygiene and sanitation – no piped clean
water, lack of sewage disposal

9. Examples?
• The UK before 1780
• The Amazon Rainforest

10. Stage 2
• The Birth Rate remains… high
• The death Rate starts to fall
• The population grows rapidly

11. Why does the Death Rate drop?
• Improved medical care, including
vaccinations,hospitals and medicines,
especially in the towns
• Cleaner water, better sewage disposal
• Improvements in the quality and quantity of
food supplies and diet
• Improved transport
• A decrease in child mortality

12. Examples?
• European countries as they passed through
industrial development
• Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria

13. Stage 3
• The Birth Rate falls
• Towards the end of
this stage the
population growth
starts to slow down

14. Why does the Birth Rate drop?
1. Family planning – contraceptives,
sterilisation, abortion, government
incentives
2. A lower infant mortality rate means that
people need less children
3. People live in towns and cities,where it
costs more to support children

15. 4. More mechanisation, means fewer
workers needed
5. Materialism
6. State old age pensions
7. Emancipation of women – in the home,
society, education and the workplace

16. Examples?
• Argentina, Brazil
• China, India

17. Stage 4
• The Birth Rate and the
Death rate stabilise
• Population growth is
now stable
• Many MEDCs

18. Stage 5
• Death Rate is
Low
• Birth Rate is
Even lower
• Result?
• A natural rate of
decrease

19. The result?
• An ‘Ageing’ Population