Study the given graph carefully and answer the following question:
The natural increase in population is pronounced when there is _____.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → High birth rate and low death rate
Natural increase is the gap between the birth rate (BR) and the death rate (DR). On the graph it is the hatched part between the two lines. The gap is widest in Stage II, where the birth rate is still high but the death rate falls.
Option (1) High birth rate and high death rate — Incorrect. This is Stage I. Many people are born, but many also die, so the population grows slowly.
Option (2) High birth rate and low death rate — Correct. Births stay high while deaths fall, so the gap between them is large and the population grows fast.
Option (3) Low birth rate and low death rate — Incorrect. This is Stage III. The population is either stable or grows slowly.
Option (4) Low birth rate and high death rate — Incorrect. This is not a stage of the model.
Note 1: The graph in this question is Fig. 2.2 (Demographic Transition Theory) of the chapter ‘The World Population: Distribution, Density and Growth’ (Fundamentals of Human Geography).
Note 2: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 31-05-2023 (Slot 2).
NCERT (2026-27): “Fertility remains high in the beginning of second stage but it declines with time. This is accompanied by reduced mortality rate. Improvements in sanitation and health conditions lead to decline in mortality. Because of this gap the net addition to population is high.” |