Demographic transition models typically use two key population statistics to signify changes in a nation's population: birth rates and death rates.
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Birth Rates: This refers to the number of live births per thousand people in a given year. High birth rates are often associated with pre-industrial societies, while lower birth rates are seen in more developed nations.
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Death Rates: This refers to the number of deaths per thousand people in a given year. High death rates are typically seen in less developed countries due to factors like disease, lack of healthcare, and poor living conditions, while lower death rates are found in more developed nations due to improvements in healthcare and living standards.
The interaction of these two rates helps to illustrate the stages of demographic transition, which typically progress from high birth and death rates to lower birth and death rates as a country develops economically and socially.