Countries whose fertility is at or below replacement can continue to gain population because of __________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a population has a high proportion of young people who have not yet had children, even if the fertility rate drops to replacement level, the population will continue to grow as the young people enter their reproductive years. This is known as population momentum. Additionally, countries can also gain population through immigration. Therefore, option B (immigration and population momentum) is the correct answer. Option A (immigration and rising life expectancy) is incorrect as rising life expectancy does not directly contribute to population growth. Option C (population momentum and dependency ratio) is incorrect as dependency ratio is not a factor in population growth. Option D (population momentum) is partially correct but does not acknowledge the role of immigration in population growth.

Countries Whose Fertility Is at or Below Replacement Can Continue