Definitions of death rate

Economic Development – Population (Cambridge IGCSE 0455)

Objective

Define the main population indicators required by the Cambridge IGCSE 0455 syllabus, show how each is calculated, give worked examples, and explain why they matter for economic development, living standards and government policy.

1. Core Population Indicators

SymbolIndicatorDefinition (per 1 000)FormulaTypical Data Source
CBRCrude Birth RateNumber of live births in a year per 1 000 mid‑year population\$\text{CBR}= \frac{\text{Live births in a year}}{\text{Mid‑year population}}\times1{,}000\$National vital‑statistics reports
CDRCrude Death RateNumber of deaths in a year per 1 000 mid‑year population\$\text{CDR}= \frac{\text{Deaths in a year}}{\text{Mid‑year population}}\times1{,}000\$National vital‑statistics reports
IMRInfant Mortality RateDeaths of infants (< 1 yr) per 1 000 live births\$\text{IMR}= \frac{\text{Infant deaths (<1 yr)}}{\text{Live births}}\times1{,}000\$Health ministry / WHO
ASDRageAge‑Specific Death RateDeaths in a particular age group per 1 000 people in that age group\$\text{ASDR}_{age}= \frac{\text{Deaths in age group}}{\text{Population of that age group}}\times1{,}000\$Census + mortality registers
NMRNet Migration RateNet migrants (immigrants − emigrants) per 1 000 mid‑year population\$\text{NMR}= \frac{\text{Immigrants – Emigrants}}{\text{Mid‑year population}}\times1{,}000\$Immigration‑emigration statistics
TGRTotal Population Growth RateOverall change in population per 1 000 mid‑year population (natural increase + net migration)\$\text{TGR}= \frac{(\text{Births – Deaths})+(\text{Immigrants – Emigrants})}{\text{Mid‑year population}}\times1{,}000\$Combined vital‑statistics & migration data
DRDependency RatioNumber of dependents (0‑14 yr + 65+ yr) per 100 people of working age (15‑64 yr)\$\text{DR}= \frac{\text{Population 0‑14}+\text{Population 65+}}{\text{Population 15‑64}}\times100\$Census tables

2. Worked Sample Calculations (exam‑style)

  • Crude Death Rate (CDR)


    Deaths = 12 200, Mid‑year population = 2 050 000

    \$\text{CDR}= \frac{12\,200}{2\,050\,000}\times1{,}000 = 5.95\;\text{deaths per 1 000}\$

  • Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)


    Infant deaths = 480, Live births = 18 000

    \$\text{IMR}= \frac{480}{18\,000}\times1{,}000 = 26.7\;\text{infant deaths per 1 000 live births}\$

  • Net Migration Rate (NMR)


    Immigrants = 45 000, Emigrants = 30 000, Population = 10 000 000

    \$\text{NMR}= \frac{45\,000-30\,000}{10\,000\,000}\times1{,}000 = 1.5\;\text{net migrants per 1 000}\$

  • Age‑Specific Death Rate (ASDR) – example


    Age group 0‑4 yr: Deaths = 1 200, Population of that age = 150 000

    \$\text{ASDR}_{0‑4}= \frac{1\,200}{150\,000}\times1{,}000 = 8.0\;\text{deaths per 1 000}\$

  • Total Population Growth Rate (TGR) – example


    Births = 25 000, Deaths = 12 200, Immigrants = 5 000, Emigrants = 2 000, Mid‑year population = 2 050 000

    \$\text{Natural increase}=25\,000-12\,200=12\,800\$

    \$\text{Net migration}=5\,000-2\,000=3\,000\$

    \$\text{TGR}= \frac{12\,800+3\,000}{2\,050\,000}\times1{,}000 = 7.71\;\text{per 1 000}\$

  • Dependency Ratio (DR) – example


    0‑14 yr = 300 000, 65+ yr = 80 000, 15‑64 yr = 620 000

    \$\text{DR}= \frac{300\,000+80\,000}{620\,000}\times100 = 61.3\%\$

    Interpretation: 61 dependents for every 100 working‑age people.

3. Age Structure & Related Concepts

  • Population Pyramid – a bar‑chart showing males and females in successive 5‑year age groups.

    • Broad‑based pyramid – high birth & death rates; large youth cohort (typical of many developing countries).

    • Column‑shaped pyramid – low birth & death rates; relatively even distribution (many developed economies).

    • Inverted pyramid – ageing population; few children, many elderly (e.g., Japan, Italy).

    Students must be able to draw a basic pyramid, label the age groups (0‑4, 5‑9 … 80+), and identify which type it represents.

  • Dependency Ratio (DR) – measures pressure on the productive (15‑64 yr) population.

    • High DR → greater demand for education, health care and pensions, which can limit resources for investment and economic growth.

    • Low DR → more “demographic dividend” – a larger share of the population can work, potentially boosting GDP per capita.

  • Optimum Population – the size of population that can be sustainably supported while maintaining a high standard of living.

    • Key criteria (as expected by the syllabus):

      • Availability of natural resources (land, water, energy)

      • Level of technology and productivity

      • Effectiveness of institutions (government, education, health)

      • Environmental capacity and sustainability

    • Governments use the concept to set long‑term targets for family‑planning, education, and infrastructure investment.

4. Why These Indicators Matter for Economic Development

  1. Health & Labour Productivity – High death or infant‑mortality rates indicate poor health services, reducing the effective labour force and output per worker.

  2. Dependency Ratio – A high ratio raises public spending on education, health and pensions, leaving less for capital formation and innovation.

  3. Labour‑Supply & Growth – Countries with moderate birth rates and low death rates tend to have a growing working‑age population, supporting higher GDP growth.

  4. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) – Investors prefer economies with a healthy, stable workforce; low mortality rates are a positive signal of human‑capital quality.

  5. Policy & Planning – Accurate death‑rate data guide government spending on hospitals, vaccination programmes, and reforms to retirement age.

  6. Trade & Globalisation – Demographic trends shape demand for imports (e.g., consumer goods for young populations) and supply of export‑oriented labour.

5. Evaluation – Strengths and Limitations of Death‑Rate Measures

  • Crude Death Rate (CDR)

    • Strength: Simple to calculate; useful for quick cross‑country comparisons.

    • Limitation: Ignores age structure – an ageing nation will have a higher CDR even if health conditions are good.

  • Age‑Specific Death Rate (ASDR)

    • Strength: Removes age‑structure bias; highlights vulnerable groups (infants, elderly).

    • Limitation: Requires detailed age‑group data, which may be unavailable or unreliable in some developing countries.

  • Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)

    • Strength: Sensitive indicator of maternal health, nutrition, and overall living standards.

    • Limitation: Does not reflect mortality among older children or adults; must be used with other indicators.

  • Policy Trade‑offs

    • Reducing death rates improves human capital but can create an ageing population, raising pension and health‑care costs.

    • Encouraging higher birth rates may boost future labour supply but can strain housing, education and health services if economic growth does not keep pace.

6. Suggested Revision Diagrams

  • Population pyramids: one broad‑based (e.g., Nigeria) and one column‑shaped (e.g., Germany).

  • Line graph of Crude Death Rate trends (1950‑2020) for a high‑income and a low‑income country.

  • Bar chart of Age‑Specific Death Rates for three age groups (0‑4, 15‑64, 65+).

  • Scatter plot of Dependency Ratio versus GDP per capita to illustrate the impact on living standards.

  • Worked example diagram showing how to calculate Total Population Growth Rate from natural increase and net migration.

7. Quick Revision Checklist (AO‑1/2/3)

  • Can you write the formula for each indicator and state its definition?

  • Can you perform a calculation using the formula (including ASDR and TGR)?

  • Can you draw and label a basic population pyramid and identify its type?

  • Can you explain why a high/low death rate, IMR or DR matters for economic development?

  • Can you evaluate the strengths and limitations of CDR, ASDR and IMR, linking them to policy decisions?