Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The demographic transition model (DTM) effectively illustrates the relationship between population growth and economic development. This model describes the transition of a country's population over time through distinct stages, each characterized by varying birth and death rates, which correlate with the levels of economic development.

In the initial stages of the DTM, typically associated with less economically developed regions, both birth and death rates are high, leading to slow population growth. As a country advances economically, it enters subsequent stages where death rates begin to decline significantly due to improvements in healthcare, sanitation, and nutrition, resulting in rapid population growth. Eventually, as economic development continues, birth rates also decline, leading to a stabilization of the population.

This trajectory reflects the industrialization and urbanization aspects of economic development, making the DTM a valuable tool for understanding how demographic changes accompany and support economic progress.