Demographic Processes: Fertility, Mortality and Natural Increase (Basics) Questions

Question 1

What is Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)?

Accepted Answer

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is the number of deaths of infants below 1 year per 1000 live births in a year.

Question 2

What is fertility?

Accepted Answer

Fertility refers to the actual child-bearing (number of live births) in a population.

Question 3

Define mortality.

Accepted Answer

Mortality refers to the occurrence of deaths in a population.

Question 4

What is Crude Birth Rate (CBR)?

Accepted Answer

Crude Birth Rate (CBR) is the number of live births per 1000 mid-year population in a year.

Question 5

What is Crude Death Rate (CDR)?

Accepted Answer

Crude Death Rate (CDR) is the number of deaths per 1000 mid-year population in a year.

Question 6

Define natural increase.

Accepted Answer

Natural increase is population growth due to births minus deaths (excluding migration).

Question 7

Write any three determinants of fertility.

Accepted Answer

Determinants of fertility include:

1) Age at marriage and timing of childbearing.
2) Education of women and awareness.
3) Availability of family planning and healthcare.

(Any three determinants like income, urbanization and cultural norms can be written.)

Question 8

Write any three determinants of mortality.

Accepted Answer

Determinants of mortality include:

1) Quality and access to healthcare.
2) Nutrition, sanitation and clean drinking water.
3) Disease outbreaks and environmental pollution.

(Any three determinants can be written.)

Question 9

Explain Crude Birth Rate (CBR) and Crude Death Rate (CDR) with formula.

Accepted Answer

Crude Birth Rate (CBR) is the number of live births per 1000 mid-year population in a year.

CBR = (Number of live births in a year / Mid-year population) × 1000.

Crude Death Rate (CDR) is the number of deaths per 1000 mid-year population in a year.

CDR = (Number of deaths in a year / Mid-year population) × 1000.

Question 10

Explain natural increase and how it differs from total population growth (any three points).

Accepted Answer

Natural increase is the difference between births and deaths in a population.

1) Natural increase = births − deaths (migration is not included).
2) Total population growth includes natural increase plus net migration.
3) Therefore, an area may grow even with low natural increase if it receives many migrants.

(Any three points can be written.)

Question 11

Write any three business implications of changes in fertility and mortality.

Accepted Answer

Business implications of fertility and mortality changes include:

1) High fertility increases demand for child-related products and services (baby care, schooling).
2) Declining fertility shifts demand towards smaller households and higher spending per child.
3) Falling mortality and rising life expectancy increase demand for healthcare, insurance and retirement products.

(Any three implications can be written.)

Question 12

Differentiate between fertility and fecundity (any three points).

Accepted Answer

Fertility and fecundity differ as follows:

1) Fertility refers to actual births occurring in a population, whereas fecundity refers to the biological capacity to reproduce.
2) Fertility is influenced by social, economic and cultural factors (education, marriage age, family planning), whereas fecundity is mainly biological.
3) A population may have high fecundity but low fertility if people choose smaller families.

(Any three points can be written.)

Question 13

Explain fertility and its determinants.

Accepted Answer

Fertility refers to the actual child-bearing performance of a population, that is, the number of live births occurring in a given period. It is an important demographic process because it directly affects the size of the future population and the future consumer base. Fertility should not be confused with fecundity, which is the biological capacity to reproduce.

Fertility is influenced by many determinants. One important determinant is age at marriage and timing of childbearing. When marriage is early, the reproductive period is longer and fertility tends to be higher.

Education, especially women’s education, is another major factor. Education increases awareness, delays marriage, improves decision-making and encourages smaller family norms.

Economic factors also matter. When cost of living, education expenses and housing costs rise, families may prefer fewer children. Urbanization and modernization generally reduce fertility because of changed lifestyles and career aspirations.

Availability of family planning and healthcare services also reduces fertility by enabling couples to plan and space births. Cultural and religious norms and preference for children can influence desired family size.

Thus, fertility is a multi-factor phenomenon and its determinants must be understood for both social planning and business forecasting of future markets.

Question 14

Explain mortality and the factors affecting it.

Accepted Answer

Mortality refers to the occurrence of deaths in a population. Mortality level is an important indicator of the health and living conditions of society. A lower mortality rate generally indicates better health facilities, improved nutrition and higher standard of living.

Many factors affect mortality. Healthcare access and quality is one of the most significant factors. Availability of hospitals, vaccination, medicines and timely treatment reduces deaths.

Nutrition and food security also influence mortality. Malnutrition weakens the body and increases vulnerability to disease, especially among infants and elderly.

Sanitation, clean drinking water and housing conditions are crucial. Poor sanitation and unsafe water lead to infections and water-borne diseases, raising mortality.

Epidemics and disease outbreaks can increase mortality suddenly. Environmental pollution and occupational hazards can also cause chronic illnesses and accidents.

Education and health awareness help people adopt healthy practices, use medical services in time and maintain hygiene, which reduces mortality.

Therefore, mortality is influenced by medical, social, economic and environmental conditions, and understanding these factors helps in planning public health as well as business services like healthcare and insurance.

Question 15

Explain natural increase and discuss why it is important for business forecasting.

Accepted Answer

Natural increase is the growth of population due to births and deaths only. It is calculated as births minus deaths, and it does not include migration. When births are higher than deaths, natural increase is positive; when deaths exceed births, it becomes negative.

Natural increase can also be expressed as a rate. In simple terms, rate of natural increase is the difference between crude birth rate (CBR) and crude death rate (CDR). Although crude rates have limitations, the concept gives a basic idea of how fast population is growing naturally.

Natural increase is important for business forecasting because it affects long-term market size. When natural increase is high, the population base expands, which can increase future demand for housing, education, food, consumer goods and services.

It also influences workforce availability. Over time, births today become the working-age group of tomorrow, which affects labour supply and potential productivity. In areas where natural increase is falling, businesses may face slower growth in new consumers and may need to shift focus to quality, premium products or elderly-oriented services.

Further, natural increase helps companies plan capacity expansion and sales targets realistically. Combined with other indicators like age structure and migration, it supports more accurate demand forecasts.

Thus, natural increase is a basic but important demographic indicator that helps businesses understand future population trends and plan investments and strategies accordingly.

Demographic Processes: Fertility, Mortality and Natural Increase (Basics)

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