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Demographic transition theory and its phases

Answer Text:
Demographic Transition Theory.
- A theory compounded to explain that a decline in death rates normally occurs before decline in birth rates.
- The decline is as a result of economic and social development.
- There are 4 demographic transition phases namely:
Stage/phase 1
i. High birth rate and high death rate due to inadequate food supply, wars, diseases and insufficient medical facilities.
ii. Little or no increase in population
iii. Was experienced in Europe before 19th Century.
Stage 2
i. High birth rate and a decline in death rate due to improved food supplies and medical facilities.
ii. High population growth rate
iii. Was experienced by European countries in the 19th Century during industrial revolution.
iv. Kenya is in this stage.
Stage 3
- Relatively low death rates and declining birth rate due family realization of the need to have small families due to pressure exerted on economic resources and social facilities, level of education attainment leading to use of birth control measures.
- Moderate population growth rate.
Stage 4
i. Low birth and death rates.
ii. Low population growth rate.
iii. The population becomes static and can only reproduce to
replace the dying ones (population replacement level).
iv. It’s experienced in industrialized countries like Germany and Sweden where death rate is falling below death rate.