The Demographic Transition Model

The Demographic Transition Model

1. Stage 5

   • Low birthrate
   • Low deathrate
   • in such countries as Eastern Europe the Birthrate has falling below replacement level
   • Examples
     • Canada, USA

2. Stage 4

   • Low Deathrate
     • Improved medical attention
     • Higher life expectancy
     • Clean water and sanitation
     • Low infant mortality
       • Due to better healthcare
     • Ageing Population
   • Low Birthrate
     • Availability of Contraeception
     • Emancipation of women
     • Mechanisation of farming
   • Examples
     • England, France, Germany, etc

3. Stage 3

   • Low Deathrate
     • Better medical attention
     • Hospitals
     • Doctors
     • Improved water and sanitation
     • Decrease in infant mortality
   • Lowering Birthrate
     • Availability of contraeception
     • Mechanisation of farming
   • Examples
     • China

4. Stage 2

   • Rapidly falling Deathrate
     • Improved transport
     • Decrease in infant mortality.
     • improvements in food production
     • improved sanitation and water
     • improved medical care
       • Vaccines
       • Doctors
       • Hospitals
   • High Birthrate
     • High Infant Mortality
     • No birth control or family planning
     • Subsistance Farming
   • Examples
     • Bolivia
     • India

5. Stage 1

   • High Deathrate
     • Poor hygiene
     • No medical care
     • Poor diet
     • Uncertain food supplies
     • Famine
     • War
     • Disease
   • High Birthrate
     • No birth control or family planning
     • High infant mortality
     • Children are needed to work on the land
       • Subsistance Farming
   • Examples
     • Brazilian Tribes
     • Ethiopia

6. Disadvantages

   • Doesn't allow for religion
     • Catholics don't believe in the use of contraeception
   • Doesn't account for factors such as emancipation of women, migration and education.
   • Original DTM didn't have a 5th stage, will more stages need to be added.
   • The data collated for the DTM, was collected in richer more developed countries.
     • Might not be a valid model worldwide.

7. Advantages

   • Easy to read and compare.
   • Gives us a generalized image of how a population can change. over time.
   • Time scales are flexible
   • Governments can decide upon policies.
     • E.g China 1 child policy
   • A forecast of how the population may change in a country.