The Demographic Transition Model Objective: Identify specific societal changes occurring in different stages of demographic transition.

What is it?  Model of population change based on the effects of economic development  Based on the experience of how development happened in the Western World  All countries pass through 4 stages that lead them to a state of maturity

What does it look like?

Stage 1- preindustrial/preagricultural  Associated with pre- Modern times  Both birth and death rates are high resulting in slow population growth  What are the causes of high birth and death rates at this time?

Stage 2- improved agriculture and medicine  Low death rates  Infant mortality rate falls while the birth rate remains high  Rate of natural increase is high  Why do death rates decrease?

Without demographic transition, we would not have seen this pattern

Stage 3 Indicative of richer, more developed countries Higher standards of living and education Crude birth rate finally falls

Stage 4  Birth and death rates have both stabilized  Population gets older  Population stabilizes

Example Countries

Problems with the Demographic Transition Model based on European experience, assumes all countries will progress to complete industrialization many countries reducing growth rate dramatically without increase in wealth on the other hand, some countries “stuck” in stage 2 or stage 3