Question.
What is demographic transition? How had it affected the world population distribution? (64th BPSC 2019)
Answer:
Demographic transition is a model that explains the population growth trends and distribution of the population of regions or the world. The model has correlated the population growth and development in a particular region.
As per the model,
When the development of a particular region gets transformed from minimum technology and low economic development to advanced technology and industrialized development; the population of that region also gets transformed from high birth and death rate to low birth and death rate.
There are five stages of population growth in a particular region, and a summary of the five stages is summarized in the below diagram.
First stage:
In the first stage of the demographic transition, the region experienced a very high birth and death rate; the gap between the death and birth rate is nearly zero; as a result, there is a stable population or experience very low population growth. During colonial times, India was in the first stage of a demographic transition.
Second stage:
When industrialization started and slowly medical facilities improved; the region experienced a sharp decline in the death rate but the birth rate remained high. The gap between the birth rate and death increases, and as a result, there is a sharp increase in the population.
Third stage:
Due to industrialization and improved literacy and medical facilities, the birth rate started declining but population growth remains high due to the very wide population pyramid.
Fourth stage:
In this stage, the region experiences a low birth and death rate, and a very narrow gap between the birth and death rate; resulting in a nearly stable population.
Fifth stages:
In the fifth stage of demographic transition, the region experiences a decline in the net population. For example, Japan, Germany, etc.
The following way the demographic transition affect the world population distribution:
World population is not equally distributed everywhere, population density and growth are dependent on the stages of the demographic transition.
The following information explains how the demographic transition affects the world population.
- The majority of African countries are either in the first stage or second stage of demographic transition due to low technological and urban advancement.
- Most of the developing countries such as India, Pakistan, China, Brazil, Mexico, etc are in the third stage of the demographic transition.
- Most of the developed countries such as the USA, Canada, UK, France, Switzerland, etc are in the fourth stage of demographic transition.
- Some advanced industrialized countries such as Japan are in the fifth stage of the demographic transition.
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