Introduction to Population Geography and the Demographic Transition Model

A set of vocabulary flashcards defining key demographic concepts, rate definitions, and structural phases of the Demographic Transition Model.

Population pyramid

A diagram that takes population data and arrays it into age-sex cohorts.

Cohort

A group of people or entities experiencing the same thing at the same time.

Age-sex cohort

A subgroup of a population standardly divided into five-year age intervals and separated by sex.

Pronatal policies

Governmental or societal policies designed to encourage births and increase the birth rate.

Crude birth rate (CBR)

The number of live births occurring per year for every $1,000$ people in a population.

Crude death rate (CDR)

The number of deaths occurring per year for every $1,000$ people in a population.

Natural increase

Population growth that occurs when live birth rates exceed death rates in a given population.

Natural decrease

Population decline that occurs when death rates exceed live birth rates in a given population.

Life expectancy

The average number of years a newborn baby can be expected to live based on conditions in a given year.

Infant mortality rate (IMR)

The number of deaths during the first year of life for every $1,000$ live births.

Total fertility rate (TFR)

The average number of children a woman will have during her childbearing years, standardly defined as ages $15$ to $49$.

Replacement level

The total fertility rate required for a couple to replace themselves in the global population without immigration, benchmarked at $2.1$ children per woman.

Demographic transition model (DTM)

A framework describing spatio-temporal changes in population structure as a society transitions from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates alongside economic development.

Inductive model

A model constructed by generalizing observed sample patterns over time to make broader theoretical claims.

Stage 1 (Pre-industrial stage)

The phase in the demographic transition model characterized by steady high birth rates, fluctuating high death rates due to disease or famine, and very slow population growth.

Stage 2 (Early industrial stage)

The phase in the demographic transition model where improvements in public health, sanitation, and food security rapidly lower death rates while birth rates remain high, driving rapid population growth.

Stage 3 (Mature industrial stage)

The phase in the demographic transition model where increasing costs of childrearing, female education, and access to contraception lead to declining birth rates while death rates remain low.

Stage 4 (Post-industrial stage)

The phase in the demographic transition model characterized by low birth rates, low death rates, and low overall population growth.

Stage 5

A proposed phase in the demographic transition model where total fertility rates fall significantly below replacement level, causing death rates to exceed birth rates and leading to natural population decline.

Dependency ratio

The ratio of non-working dependent individuals (children and retirees) to the active working-age population responsible for supporting public and private societal burdens.