How does the age pyramid's structure change depending on fertility and mortality rates?
High fertility rates and low mortality rates result in a pyramid with a broad base and a wide top.
High fertility and mortality rates result in a pyramid with a broad base and a narrow top.
Low fertility rates and high mortality rates result in a pyramid with a narrow base and a broad top.
Low fertility and mortality rates result in a pyramid with a narrow base and a narrow top.
Correct option (a)
The age pyramid's shape can be considerably influenced by mortality and fertility rates.
The number of live births per 1,000 women of reproductive age is a common way to estimate fertility rates, which refer to the number of children born to women of childbearing age in a population.
The term "mortality rate" refers to the number of deaths in a population, which is commonly expressed as the death rate per 1,000 people.
The number of children in the younger age groups will be higher in a society with high fertility rates and low mortality rates, creating a pyramid with a broad base.
The number of people in each age group steadily declines as these people get older and migrate into older age groups, resulting in a smaller top.
On the other hand, a population with low rates of both fertility and mortality will have fewer children in the lower age groups, creating a pyramid with a narrower base.
The proportion of people in each age group may be more evenly distributed as these people get older and transition into older age groups, which would lead to a less obvious narrowing at the top.
Option a is the correct answer.