Demography

Demography

1. Decline in the Infant Mortality rate and Death rate

   • Explanations
     • Improved hygiene, sanitation and medicine
       • Construction of public sewer systems and clear running water
       • Advances in science and medicine
         • Such as vaccines
     • Higher living standards
       • Reduces death rates
       • Higher wages, better good, more appliances in the home, inside toilets
     • Public health and welfare
     • Health education
     • Improved working conditions
   • in 1902 the death rate was 18 per 1,000
     • This has decline to around 10 per 1,000 in 2007
   • The infant mortality rate has fallen from around 142 per 1,000 live births in 1902
     • To around 5 per 1,000 in 2007
   • Average life expectancy has consequently risen
     • Men can expect to live, on average to around the age of 77
     • Women can expect to live, on average around 81 years old

2. Ageing population

   • This is caused by decline in the death rate and increased life expectancy
   • The average age of the population is getting higher
     • A greater proportion of the population over retirement age
     • A smaller proprotion of young people in the population
   • Decline in the birrth rate has meant fewer children are being born
     • This has changed the overall age structure of the population
     • In 1901, only 4% were over the age of 65
       • But by 2007 this had risen to about 16%
   • Figure 3.2 shows that in 1951 there was quite a rapid decline in the proportion of people over the age of 50 in the population as a whole,
   • By 2001 there is more of a 'bulge' in the middle age groups
     • By 2031 the older age rgoups make up a much larger proportion of the population
   • Effects on the family
     • More lone person households
       • Due to partners dying
     • Elderly relatives can help with childcare/babysitting
     • Family can support elderly relatives financially
     • Could be a return of classic extended family

3. Decline in birth rate, fertility rate and average family size

   • Reasons
     • Contraception
     • Compulsory education of children
       • Children barred from emloyment in 19th century
     • Changing position of women
       • More women are becoming childless in Britain today
     • Declining infant mortality rate
       • Parents no longer have more children as security against only a few surviving
         • Due to a decrease in the infant mortality rate
     • Geographically mobile labour force
       • A workforce that can easily move to other areas for work or promotion
     • Changing values
   • The birth rate has been decliining in Britain, form 28 per 1,000 in 1902 to 11 per 1,000 in 2007
   • The fertility rate has been declining
     • Average of 2.77 children per woma in 1961
       • This has reduced to about 1.8 in 2006
     • Meaning that the average family and household size has been dropping
       • From around 6 children per family in the 1870's to around 1.8 children per family in 2007
   • The average household size in Britain has also almost halved in the last hundred years from around 4.6 people to around 2.4 in 2007