TeXes Science Practice Test

What is the first stage the human population goes through on its way to reach full demographic transition?

1. Birth and death rates are both low.

2. Birth and death rates are both high.

3. Death rates are low and birth rates are high.

4. Birth rates equal death rates.

The correct answer is: Birth and death rates are both high.

The first stage of the demographic transition model is characterized by high rates of both birth and death. This stage is often referred to as the pre-industrial stage. During this period, communities tend to have limited access to medical technologies, a poor understanding of sanitation, and a reliance on agrarian economies, which together contribute to relatively high mortality rates, especially among infants and children. Families often compensate for these high death rates by having more children, resulting in high birth rates as well. At this stage, population growth is typically slow because the high birth rates are counterbalanced by equally high death rates, creating a stable population size. As societies progress and begin to implement improvements in healthcare, sanitation, and nutrition, they will eventually transition to the next stage where death rates decline while birth rates remain high, leading to rapid population growth.