Demography

• What is the birth rate?

  the number of live births per 1000 of the population
• What is the fertility rate?

  the average number of children women will have during their fertile years
• What are the main patterns and trends?

  The UK's TFR has risen since 2001, but is still much lower than in the past. In 2001, there were only 1.63 children per women, compared to 1.84 by 2006. The peak of TFR was in 1964, with 2.95 children per woman
• What do the changes in fertility and birth rates show?

  more women are choosing to remain childless than in the past
• What is the average age for giving birth now?

  29.6
• What are the 4 reasons for the fall in the birth rate?

  changes in the position of women, fall in the infant mortality rate, children have become an economic liability and child centredness
• What is the main cause of the changes in the position of women?

  legal equality with men, such as the right to vote
• How have increased educational opportunities changed the position of women?

  girls now outperform boys at all levels of education, for example in 2006, there was a 10% gender gap in achievement at GCSE level
• Why are women now paid more?

  due to the introduction of laws that ban unequal pay and sex discrimination
• Why might women choose to delay childbearing or not have children at all?

  women now have more opportunities for a career and are not limited to being housewives
• What does the infant mortality rate measure?

  the number of babies who die before their first birthday
• Why do sociologists argue that a fall in IMR will lead to a fall in birth rate?

  if more children are surviving, parents will not have to have more children to replace them
• Why has the IMR fallen in the 20th century?

  • improved housing and better sanitation
  • better nutrition
  • better knowledge of hygiene, child health and welfare
  • improved services for mothers and children
• Why were children considered economic assets in the 19th century?

  parents could send their child out to work from an early age
• Why are children now economically dependent on their parents for longer?

  due to laws banning child labour, compulsory schooling, raising the school leaving age and children having higher material expectations
• Why has child centredness affected the birth rate?

  parents now have fewer children and lavish more attention and resources on them
• What is the dependency ratio?

  the relationship between the size of the working part of the population and the size of the non-working population
• How is the dependent population supported?

  by the earnings, savings and taxes of the working population
• How does the fall in birth rate affect people economically?

  it reduces the 'burden of dependency' on the working population
• How does a lower birth rate affect public services?

  fewer schools and health services are needed
• What is demography the study of?

  Population and factors affecting its size
• What four factors affect population size?

  Births, immigration, deaths, emigration
• What was the UK's population in 1901?

  37 million
• What is natural change in population?

  Births minus deaths
• What was the UK's population in 2014?

  65 million
• What is the birth rate?

  Live births per 1,000 population per year
• How much did the birth rate decline from 1900 to 2014?

  More than 60% from 29 to 12.2
• What were the three 'baby booms' in the UK?

  After two world wars and in the 1960s
• What is the total fertility rate?

  Average number of children per woman
• What was the total fertility rate in the 1960s baby boom?

  2.95 children per woman
• What was the total fertility rate in 2001?

  1.63 children per woman
• What trend is observed regarding women and childbearing?

  More women are remaining childless
• What is a significant change in childbearing age?

  Women are having children later, over 30
• What are the reasons for the fall in birth rates?

  • Changes in the position of women
  • Increased educational opportunities
  • More women working
  • Easier access to divorce
  • Access to abortion and contraception
• What is the infant mortality rate (IMR)?

  Infants dying before their first birthday
• What was the IMR in 1900?

  154 per 1,000 live births
• What was the IMR in 2012?

  4 per 1,000 live births
• How does a fall in IMR affect birth rates?

  Parents may have fewer children if infants survive
• What are the reasons for the fall in IMR?

  • Improved housing and sanitation
  • Better nutrition for mothers
  • Knowledge of hygiene and child health
  • Health services for mothers and children
  • Medical advancements like immunization and antibiotics
• How were children viewed economically until the late 19th century?

  As an economic asset