High fertility, high mortality and slow population growth are characteristics of which of the following stage of demographic transition?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Stage I of Demographic Transition
Demographic transition is the change of a population from high births and high deaths to low births and low deaths as a society becomes urban, industrial and literate. It has three stages.
Option (1) Low Fluctuating Stage — Incorrect. Low fluctuating is another name for Stage III, where both birth and death rates are low.
Option (2) Stage I of Demographic Transition — Correct. People have many children to make up for deaths from epidemics and an uncertain food supply. Births and deaths are both high, so the population grows slowly. This stage is also called the high fluctuating stage.
Option (3) Stage II of Demographic Transition — Incorrect. Fertility stays high but mortality falls, so the population grows fast. This is the expanding stage.
Option (4) Stage III of Demographic Transition — Incorrect. Both fertility and mortality decline considerably, and the population is stable or grows slowly.
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.”
Fig. 2.2: Demographic Transition Theory |
