Question.
Discuss the three stages of demographic transition.
(Class 12 geography, Fundamentals of Human Geography, Chapter-2. The World Population Distribution, Density, and Growth )
Answer.
Demographic transition theory is a theory that tells us the following things:
- It describes and predicts how and how much the future population of any area will be.
- It tells us that the population of any region changes over time from high births and high deaths to low births and low deaths.
- It tells us that the society of any region changes over time from rural agrarian society to urban industrial society.
- It tells us that the society of any region changes with time from illiterate to literate society.
Following are the three stages of demographic transition:
First Stage of Demographic Transition:
In the first stage of demographic transition, there is high fertility and high mortality because the food supply is insufficient and the area is often prone to widespread epidemics.
People produce more children to compensate for the deaths.
Large families are considered an asset because they contribute to agricultural activities.
There is a slow growth of population because there is a narrow gap between birth rate and death rate.
There is low Life expectancy in society.
People are mostly illiterate.
There is a low level of economic and technological development.
All the countries of the world were in the first stage of demographic transition about 200 years ago.
Some African countries and rainforest tribes are currently in the first stages of a demographic transition.
Second Stage of Demographic Transition Theory:
At the beginning of the second stage, the fertility rate remains high but the mortality rate declines over time due to improved sanitation and health conditions.
High population growth occurs in this stage due to the large difference between birth rate and death rate.
During the 1970s, India was in the second stage of demographic transition.
Today most developing countries such as Bangladesh, Peru, Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Nigeria are in the second stage of demographic transition.
Third Stage of Demographic Transition Theory:
In the third and final stage of the demographic transition, both fertility and mortality decline.
There is a narrow gap between the birth rate and the death rate, so the population is either stable or grows slowly.
During this stage, society becomes urbanized, literate, and highly knowledgeable.
Most developed countries like Japan, Canada, the USA, Germany, and Australia are currently in the third stage of demographic transition.
As far as India is concerned, India is in the transition phase between the second and third phases of the demographic transition.
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