The theory of the demographic transition describes changes in population trends from high mortality and fertility to low mortality and fertility rates and provides explanations for the transition from economic, social, cultural, and historical perspectives. During the demographic transition, a population changes in size, age structure, and the momentum of growth. The demographic transition theory informs the process of population aging because it discusses two crucial demographic processes, fertility and mortality, that alter the proportion of young and older people in a population. The theory indicates that when a population has completed the demographic transition, the proportion of older people increases and the population grows older.
The demographic transition is “the eternal theme in demography” (Caldwell 1996, p. 321). Scholars generally believe that, although with forerunners, the.
