Demography

• Life expectancy

  Average life expectancy rose from 48.5 years (men) and 52.4 years (women) in 1901 to 79 years (men) and 83 years (women) in 2012-2014.
• The infant mortality rate

  The infant mortality rate fell from around 138 per 1,000 lives birth in 1902 to around 4 per 1,000 in 2014.
• The death rate

  It is defined as the number of deaths per 1,000 of the population each year. The death rate declined from 16 per 1,000 in 1902 to 8.7 per 1,000 in 2014.
• What has improved hygiene and sanitation contributed to in terms of health?


  It has helped to eradicate many life-threatening diseases.
• How have advances in medicine and science affected death rates?


  They have reduced the likelihood of dying from disease and infection.
• What are some examples of medical advancements mentioned?

  Vaccines, penicillin, and other antibiotics.
• In what ways have higher living standards improved health?


  They have led to better nutrition and higher quality housing.
• What role does the welfare state play in public health?


  It ensures food safety and access to healthcare for the population.
• How has health education contributed to improved health outcomes?


  It has made people more aware of how to stay healthy.
• What improvements in working conditions have contributed to lower death rates?


  Higher health and safety standards, shorter working hours, and more leisure time.
• Why are life-threatening occupations like coal mining considered less dangerous now?


  Due to improved working conditions and safety standards.
• What are the main factors explaining the fall in death rates?


  • Improvement in hygiene and sanitation
  • Advances in medicine and science
  • Higher living standards and better nutrition
  • Public health and welfare systems
  • Improved health education
  • Enhanced working conditions
• How does the falling birth rate affect society in the UK?


  It affects people of all ages within society.
• What changes in family structure are associated with a falling birth rate?


  • More women in full-time employment
  • Increase in dual-income families
  • Rise of symmetrical families
• What is the impact of a falling birth rate on the dependency ratio?


  It leads to fewer people entering the workforce and more people retiring.
• What are the consequences of a higher dependency ratio due to a falling birth rate?


  It results in higher levels of taxation on the working population.
• How does a falling birth rate affect the retirement age?


  It leads to a rise in the retirement age so that people work for longer.
• What are the effects of a falling birth rate on public spending in the UK?


  • Less spending on public services for children
  • Fewer schools being built
  • Reduced spending on child benefits
  • Decreased spending on healthcare
• What is one reason for the decline in birth and fertility rates?


  More women are choosing to pursue their careers.
• How does pursuing a career affect women's fertility rates?


  It limits the number of children they can have or leads them to wait until they are older.
• What has improved regarding contraception since 1967?


  Contraception is now more effective, safer, and cheaper.
• What impact does access to safe and legal abortions have on fertility rates?


  It allows women to control their reproductive choices more effectively.
• How have child labor laws affected the perception of children in families?


  Children have become an economic liability rather than an asset.
• What is the average financial cost parents spend on a child?


  Parents spend on average a quarter of a million per child.
• How does the declining infant mortality rate influence family size?


  It means more children are living beyond the age of five, reducing the need for larger families.
• What societal change has made parenting more focused on fewer children?

  Society has become more child-centred.
• What role does the welfare state play in family size?


  It means parents no longer require children to care for them in their old age.
• How does individualisation affect family size?


  It leads couples to be reluctant to sacrifice their way of life to have children.
• Why is a geographically mobile workforce associated with smaller families?


  Smaller families can be moved easily from one part of the country to another in pursuit of work.
• What are the main reasons for the decline in birth and fertility rates?


  • Career pursuits by women
  • Improved contraception access
  • Children seen as economic liabilities
  • Declining infant mortality rates
  • Child-centred societal values
  • Individualisation and workforce mobility
• What are the number of periodic increases in the birth rate (in the UK) known as?

  • Baby booms
  • These 'baby booms' occurred due to the two world wars - couples would reunite after being separated and this would cause the birth rate to increase.
  • Another reason they occurred was because of living standards rising in the 1960s. 
  • Also, in the 2000's women who delayed having children until they were older-began having families.
• How is the total fertility rate defined?


  As the average number of children a woman will have during her child-bearing years.
• Fertility rate definition


  The general fertility rate is the number of live births per 1,000 women of child-bearing age (15-44) per year.
• The birth rate definition


  It is defined as the number of births per 1,000 of the population each year.
• What has caused smaller families?

  Since 1900 in the UK, the birth rate, the general and the total fertility rate have all been declining, resulting in smaller families.