Demography - Births

Factors Affecting Population Size:

Births   (population increase)

Deaths

Immigration- enter the country (population increase)

Emmigration- leave the country

Natural Change- there are more births than deaths

Net Migration- there are more people immigrating than emmigrating

Birth Rate: the amount of babies born per thousand of population/per year.

Total Fertility Rate: on average how many children women will have during their fertile years.

Changes in birth and fertility rates

• More women are staying childless
• The average age that women have children has risen to 30, fertility rates are increasing for 30-40.

Older women---less fertilie---less children produced.

Changes in position of women

• more quality
• better education
• access to divorce
• a change in attitudes

Women can control thier own fertility due to btter contraception, so birth rates have declined. but also there has been a nge in mindset for women as many now focuse on generating a career for themselves first, instead of the traditional way of producing children.

Decline in infant mortality rate:

(number of infants that die before 1st birthday/thousand/year)

• better housing and sanitaion
• better nutriton for infants, and also women
• less women working
• medical developments

A falling IMR leads to falling birth rate (Brass & Kabir)

Children are an economic liabillity:

• Laws- banning children from working, compulsory schooling, an increase in leave school age-- makes children more economically dependent on parents.
• Changing Norms- the expectations of the material items from adult to child, means parents are spending more and more on children.

Child centredness:

Families are having less children, so more time and attention is given to children- quantity to quality shift.

Reason for slight increase:

Since 2001 there has been an increase in immigration, mothers from outside the UK immigrating to the UK on average have a higher fertility rate.

Overall projection for 2041:

Up to 2041 the expected annual number of births will be 300,000 per year.

The Family:

• smaller families , where both parents are able to work and take care of less children.

The Dependency Ratio:

• The earnings of the productive population are supporting the dependent population, children are a hude part of that group.
• Fall in children will reduce the 'burden of dependency'

Public services and policies:

• less children- less cost of school, maternity and child health sevices, also cost of housing developments decreasing.
• political decision- government will decide.