Why are developing countries slow in achieving demographic transition?
Developing countries are slow in achieving demographic transition because of historical reasons. It the developed world, the industrial revolution in the 1800s led to overall development and prosperity, resulting in lower death and birth rates. The developing world missed these opportunities which have been attributed to colonisation, and the attendant lack of growth. Endemic poverty, low levels of education, and weak family planning programmes have kept the average number of children born to each woman to more than six in many parts of the developing world. This prolonged phase of high population growth has resulted in a large base of young population which imparts high momentum to population growth and prolongs the period of demographic transition.
