Stage 2 of the Demographic Transition Model is characterized by which indicators?

• A. Stage 2 features low birth rates and slowly falling death rates.
• B. Stage 2 features high birth rates and rapidly falling death rates, with rapid population growth.
• C. Stage 2 features high birth rates and high death rates, with slow growth.
• D. Stage 2 features falling birth rates and rising death rates.

Answer: (B)

Stage 2 in the Demographic Transition Model is about rapid population growth as mortality falls while fertility remains high. In this stage, improvements in health, nutrition, sanitation, and medical care reduce death rates quickly, especially among children, but birth rates stay high because cultural expectations and limited access to contraception keep the desire for large families. The result is a steep rise in population.

This description fits best because it captures the contrast: high birth rates with rapidly falling death rates, leading to swift population growth. The other options describe scenarios that don’t match Stage 2—low birth rates, high death rates, or rising death rates, which aren’t characteristic of this stage.