First stage of demographic transition
Topic: World Population: Distribution, Density, Growth and Migration · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 2 "The World Population: Distribution, Density and Growth"
Meaning
The first stage of demographic transition is the starting stage of the demographic cycle. Both fertility (births) and mortality (deaths) are high. People have many children to make up for deaths from epidemics and an uncertain food supply. Because births and deaths nearly cancel out, population grows only slowly. Most people are illiterate farmers living in large families, and life expectancy is low. About 200 years ago, every country was in this stage.
Example
India in the early 20th century fits this stage. Famines and epidemics kept death rates high, so births were high but population grew slowly.
Don't confuse with
- Second stage of demographic transition: A common trap says growth is high in the first stage. That is false. Growth is slow in stage one and highest in stage two, when deaths fall but births stay high.
Related concepts
- Demographic transition theory
- Second stage of demographic transition
- Third stage of demographic transition
- Youth bulge
- Population ageing