Demographic cycle

A nation’s population passes through 5 phases during it’s development. They are:

1. High stationary
   • Birth rate and death rates are high and cancel each other
   • Population size remains stationary
   • India was in this phase till 1920
2. Early expanding
   • The death rate starts declining
   • Birth rate remains high
   • Birth rates may even increase due to improved health conditions and decreased period of breast feeding
   • Many countries in South Asia and Africa are in this stage
3. Late expanding
   • Death rate continues to fall
   • Birth rate also starts falling
   • India is currently in this stage
4. Low stationary
   • Both birth rate and death rate are low and almost equal
   • Population size remains constant
   • Austria recorded a zero population growth in 1980-85
   • Most industrialized nations are in this phase
5. Declining
   • The birth rate falls below death rate
   • The population size starts falling
   • Some of east European countries like Germany and Hungary are in this phase