Theory of Demographic Transition

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The Theory of Demographic Transition

Demography is the study of the components of population variation and change. Death rate and birth rate are two determinants of population change. Theory of Demographic Transition is comparatively recent theory that has been accepted by several scholars throughout the world. This theory embraces the observation that all countries in the world go through different stages in the growth of population. A nation's economy and level of development is directly related to that nation's birth and death rates. Population history can be divided into different stages. Some of the scholars have divided it into three and some scholars have divided it into five stages. These stages or classifications demonstrate a transition from high birth and high death rates to low birth and low death rates. The Theory of Demographic Transition suggests that all nations begin in stage one as underdeveloped, third world nations and through time transition into first world nations. Firstly this theory was developed based on the statistic collected in many European countries. In this theory, birth rate and death rate are considered to be the major factors or demographic events for bringing change in population.

In the early 20th century, two demographers Landry and Warren Thompson tried to describe transition from the stage high birth rate and high death rate to low birth rate and low death rate. O.P. Walker has classified the `Theory of Demographic Transition' into five stages as follows (Raj, H. 2003):

The High Stationary Stage

The Early Expanding Stage

The Late Expanding Stage

The Low Stationary Stage

The Declining Stage

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... middle of paper ...

...A.A. & Kanitkar, T. (2003). Principles of Population Studies, Himalayan Publishing House, Mumbai, India

Raj H (2003). Population Studies, Surjeet Publications, New Delhi, India

Fairfax School, document from site page

http://www.fairfax.bham.sch.uk/geograph/as/demographictransitionmodel.htm, accessed June 19, 2005

Barcelona Field Studies Central SL, document from site page

http://www.geographyfieldwork.com/DemographicTransition.htm, accessed June 19, 2005

Kesgrave High School, document from site page

http://www.kesgrave.suffolk.sch.uk/learningzone/subjects/geography/dtm.html, accessed June 19, 2005

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