Birth rates and Fertility rates

Reasons for change in Birth Rates, Impacts in fertility and birth rate

Birth rates

The number of live births per 1,000 of the population per year.

Total Fertility Rate

The average number of children women will have during their fertile years (these are people aged 15-44).

Birth rate in 2024

11.171 births per 1000 people

Total fertility rate

1.755 births per woman

4 reasons for the change in birth rates

• Change in women’s position

• Decline in the infant mortality

• Child centeredness

• Children are now an economic liability

Reasons for the change in birth rates

Why has the change in women’s position happened?

• More paid work

• Legal reasons

• More education opportunities

• Easier access to divorce

• Changes in women’s role in the family

• Access to abortion and contraception

Reasons for the change in birth rates

Sarah Harper (2012)

When you improve women's education and healthcare, it reduces the number of children she'll have.

Reasons for the change in birth rates

How has the change in women’s positions changed birth rates?

• Education has red to a change in mind-set among women.

• Less children uneducated - women are less likely to use family planning

Reasons for the change in birth rates

Why has the decline in the infant mortality happened?

• improved housing

• better sanitation

• better knowledge of hygiene

• fall in number of married women

• Improved services for families

Reasons for the change in birth rates

How has the decline in the infant mortality rates caused the change in birth rates?

In 1950s medical factors began to play a greater role. Therefore infant mortality decreased. Sociologists claim falling IMR leads to falling birth rates

Reasons for the change in birth rates

Brasskabis

Smaller families began in rural areas were the IMR 1st began to fall, but urban areas, where the IMR remained higher for longer.

Reasons for the change in birth rates

Why are children now an economic liability?

• Laws - child labour and compulsory education

• Change in norms - children have the right to expect from their parents in material terms. There has been an increase in the cost of raising children.

• In the 21st children went from costing £150,000 to £180,000.

Reasons for the change in birth rates

Buchanan and Rot Kirch (2013)

Cost war - a factor for women not having children was the cost.

Reasons for the change in birth rates

How have children become an economic liability caused the change in Birth Rates

Financial pressure, parents now feel less able or willing than in the past to have large families.

Children are no longer an economic asset as they cannot be sent out to work.

Reasons for the change in birth rates

Why has child centeredness happened?

Infant Mortality Rates

Reasons for the change in birth rates

How has child centeredess change the birth rates

It encourages a shift from quantity to quality parents have fewer children and lavish more attention and resources on these few.

The 3 impacts of changes in fertility and birth rates

• The family

• Public services policies

• Dependency ratio

Impacts of changes in fertility and birth rates

Family

Smaller families mean that women are more likely to be free to go out to work. therefore creating a dual earner couple.

Impacts of changes in fertility and birth rates

Public Services and Policies

Lower birth rates can affect the public services e.g less schools will be needed.

There will be an increased cost of maternity and paternity leave.

Impacts of changes in fertility and birth rates

Dependency ratio

An ageing population - 1 effect of women having less children is fewer babies which will lead to the average age of the population increasing.

As less children are being born there will be a smaller work force. This means that there will be less people working and more people not working.

The earnings, saving and taxes of the working population supports the dependent population (the retired and children).