Which of the following statements about first stage of Demographic Transition Theory are correct?
A. High fertility and high mortality
B. Population growth is slow or stagnant
C. Life expectancy is low at birth
D. Improved sanitation and health conditions
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → A, B and C only
The demographic transition theory says that the population of a region changes from high births and high deaths to low births and low deaths as society moves from rural, agrarian and illiterate to urban, industrial and literate.
(A) High fertility and high mortality — Correct. The first stage has high fertility and high mortality. People have more children to make up for the deaths due to epidemics and a variable food supply.
(B) Population growth is slow or stagnant — Correct. As both births and deaths are high, population growth is slow.
(C) Life expectancy is low at birth — Correct. Life expectancy is low in the first stage, as many people die from epidemics.
(D) Improved sanitation and health conditions — Incorrect. Improvements in sanitation and health conditions come in the second stage, where they lead to a decline in mortality.
NCERT (2026-27): “The first stage has high fertility and high mortality because people reproduce more to compensate for the deaths due to epidemics and variable food supply. The population growth is slow and most of the people are engaged in agriculture where large families are an asset. Life expectancy is low, people are mostly illiterate and have low levels of technology.” “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.” |