Birth Rates

• Birth rate

  • the number of births per year per 1000
• Trends

  • a long-term decline in birth rate
  • however, there were three 'baby booms' after WW1, WW2 and during the 1960s
• Impact of a declining birth rate:

  • the dependency ratio increases - the relationship between the size of the working popukation and the non-working (dependent) population
  • the working population's earnings support the dependent population through tax
  • women are having fewer children because this reduces the burden 'burden of dependency'
  • public services - fewer schools, child health services etc.