The demographic transition

Abstract

The Demographic Transition describes the process through which countries move from having high mortality and high fertility rates to low mortality and low fertility rates. A demographic transition is conceptualized as having four phases: 1) pre-industrial fertility and mortality rates are both high; 2) transitional mortality rates decline and fertility rates remain high; 3) industrial both fertility and mortality rates decline; and 4) post-industrial fertility and mortality rates are both low. During the transition, populations can grow rapidly as births outnumber deaths. As birth rates converge to low levels, these populations stabilize.