The birth rate reflects the number of births that occur in a population in a certain period.
The concept of birth rate is used to refer to the proportional number of births that take place in a given population and period of time . From the perspective of demographics , the birth rate is a measure that allows fertility levels to be quantified .
Birth rates are usually calculated taking a period of one year as a reference based on the number of births in a community per thousand residents. This data is easy to obtain and interpret, but it is not very precise for measuring fertility since it depends on the age and sex structure of the community analyzed. In a town where most of the people are over 40 years old, for example, there will be a lower birth rate than a town of younger people.
Other alternatives used to calculate fertility are the general fertility rate (an option that focuses on the relationship between the number of births in a certain period of time and the number of female inhabitants of fertile age) and the so-called global rate . of fertility .
The highest birth rates
In 2012, to cite one piece of information, the publication The World Factbook of the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency of the United States) made it clear that the countries with the highest birth rate were the majority of the African continent. Thus, among them were Niger, Uganda, Mali, Zambia, Burkina Fasso, Ethiopia and Somalia, which are the undisputed leaders in the classification.
Compared to them, it must be highlighted that among the nations that had a lower birth rate were Monaco, Hong Kong, Germany, Japan and Austria, with the Australian island of Norfolk being the one that had a lower rate. Specifically, this became negative. And for every thousand inhabitants there were -9 births.
UN studies
In addition to the aforementioned document, which is important in this matter, we have to emphasize that there is another one that is based on the estimates that the UN (United Nations Organization) has made for the period between 2010 and 2015. Those established that Niger would remain in the lead as the country with the highest birth rate while Bosnia and Herzegovina would be the nation with the lowest rate.
Specifically, the aforementioned African country was calculated that for every thousand inhabitants it would achieve 47.7 births while the aforementioned European nation would only reach 8.2 births.
Birth data contribute to the design of social and economic policies.
Usefulness of birth data
Birth rates, for example, provide data that allow the design of social and economic policies . Populations that age at very rapid rates and have few births are likely to become stagnant and economically unproductive. Therefore, the authorities will try to facilitate the settlement of young couples who are in a position to bring new inhabitants to the town .
Some countries , such as China , exercise strict birth control as they suffer from overpopulation and resources may become insufficient to meet the needs of all people.
In addition to everything stated above, we have to highlight the existence of another term that uses the word we are analyzing. This is the expression birth explosion with which an attempt is made to define the demographic phenomenon that occurred in the period between 1946 and 1964, after the Second World War, when there was an impressive growth in the birth rate.