demographic transition theory

…be known as the “demographic transition” (see population: Theory of the demographic transition). The populations of nonindustrial countries are normally stable (and low) because high birth rates are matched by high death rates. With industrialization, improvements in medical knowledge and public health, together with a more regular food supply,…

…came to be known as demographic transition theory. (Formally, transition theory is a historical generalization and not truly a scientific theory offering predictive and testable hypotheses.) The theory arose in part as a reaction to crude biological explanations of fertility declines; it rationalized them in solely socioeconomic terms, as consequences…

…have articulated a theory of demographic transition. This theory provides a useful approximation of the historical changes that have taken place in populations in many different regions of the world. The stages of this transition are represented by dramatically different population pyramids. Stage 1, for example, is represented by a…