Which of the following statements about demographic rates are correct?
(A) The birth rate is the number of live births per 1000 population.
(B) The rate of natural increase is the birth rate minus the fertility rate.
(C) The replacement level is the growth rate needed for new generations to replace the older ones dying out.
(D) The death rate is the number of deaths per 1000 households.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → A and C only
(A) The birth rate is the number of live births per 1000 population. — Correct. The birth rate is the number of live births in an area during a year, divided by its population in thousands. So it is counted per 1000 population.
(B) The rate of natural increase is the birth rate minus the fertility rate. — Incorrect. The rate of natural increase is the birth rate minus the death rate. The fertility rate is a separate measure of births and has no place in this difference.
(C) The replacement level is the growth rate needed for new generations to replace the older ones dying out. — Correct. When births and deaths balance, the population has reached the replacement level. It is the growth rate needed for new generations to replace the older ones dying out.
(D) The death rate is the number of deaths per 1000 households. — Incorrect. The death rate is the number of deaths in an area during a given time per 1000 population. Its base is the population, the same as for the birth rate. Households play no part in this measure.
NCERT (2026-27): “C C I … “The rate of natural increase or the growth rate of population refers to the difference between the birth rate and the death rate. When this difference is zero (or, in practice, very small) then we say that the population has ‘stabilised’, or has reached the ‘replacement level’, which is the rate of growth required for new generations to replace the older ones that are dying out. …” |