In which stage of demographic transition, fertility remains high in the beginning but it declines with time?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Second stage
The demographic transition theory explains how a population moves from high births and high deaths to low births and low deaths as society becomes urban, industrial and literate. The theory has three stages.
Option (1) First stage — Incorrect. Both fertility and mortality are high, so population grows slowly.
Option (2) Second stage — Correct. Fertility stays high at first and declines with time. Mortality falls faster because of better sanitation and health, so the net addition to population is high.
Option (3) Third stage — Incorrect. The third stage is the last stage of the theory, when both fertility and mortality are already low.
Option (4) Last stage — Incorrect. Both fertility and mortality decline considerably. The population is stable or grows slowly.
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.” |