Figure 1 shows the demographic transition model (DTM), which illustrates what happens to a country’s birth rates, death rates and total population over time, as it moves through various stages of economic development. The gap between birth rate and death rate is called natural population change. Countries currently in stages 2 and 3 with high birth rates and falling death rates include Bangladesh and Nigeria. One country which is already in stage 5 is Japan, and its ageing population and low birth rates are having a significant impact on the country.
When the model was created it had four stages, which was appropriate for all countries at the time. Later, a fifth stage was added to show countries at the highest stage of economic development and how this affects their demographic data.
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