2. Higher levels of income
-people are able to afford better nutrition and do not suffer from food shortages

3. Better medical and health care
-improve the survival rate of babies, redicing infant mortality rate
-less prone to falling sick
-less prone to contracting diseases due to better hygiene and clean living conditions

Factors leading to Low Birth Rate:

1. Late marriages
-couples tend to have fewer children because they have fewer years to have babies

2. Fewer marriages
-result in fewer families and fall in birth rate

3. Preference to have smaller families
-due to increase in cost of living and raising kids
-and difficulties in balancing work and family life

Consequences of Low rate of population growth

1. Ageing population
-increase in burden on the working population as there are mroe elderly joining the workforce and fewer youths

2. Higher taxes
-each working person has to pay more tax to fund public amenities and projects

3. Smaller talent pool
-fewer people to choose from to lead and serve the country

Actions to manage Low rate of population growth

1. Encouraging marriange and childbearing
-gives incentives in the form of tax rebates to couples who have more children (e.g. Singapore)

2. Need of an ageing population
-building special facilities for elderly and encouraging their families to care for them

3. Special facilities
-specialised hospitals to treat illnesses associated with the elderly and homes catering to them

4. Keep elderly healthy and active
-opening exercise classes and courses for lifelong learning at community centres

5. Extend working life
-to reduce the burden on the working population
-to raise retirement age

6. Encourage financial planning
-early planning to ensure people have enough financial resources when they retire to meet their life goals

High rate of population growth
Causes: -Low Death Rate - High Birth Rate

Factors leading to Low Death Rate:

1. Better medical and health care
-improve the survival rate of babies, reducing infant mortality rate
-less prone to falling sick
-less prone to contracting diseases due to better hygiene and clean living conditions

Factors leading to High Birth Rate:

1. Lack of family planning
-common in less developed countries
-less educated and unaware of family planning methods

2. Early marriages
-increase childbearing years for the women

3. Preference for sons
-parents have children till they succeed in having sons (e.g. China and India)

4. Need for farm labour
-common in less developed countries
-large families to provide more hands to work in the fields

Consequences of High rate of population growth

1. Demand for resourses
-food and water increases with more people
-less developed countries often suffer from the shortage of food due to insufficient production of food

2. Higher demand for housing
-demand for housing increases with more people
-inadequate housing for growing populations in cities of less developed countries

3. Lack of proper housing
-squatter settlements and make-shift houses have sprouted around the outskirts of cities of less developed countries

4. Rapid population growth
-leading to intense competition for limited number of jobs

5. Environmental problems
-lack of proper waste disposal services to deal with the waste produced by the people
-waste left unattended to can lead to pollution of the environment and the deterrioration of living conditions

Actions to control a High rate of population growth

1. Education
-proper family planning methods can teach couples to control the size of their families

2. Incentives and penalties
-tax subsidies may be given to couples who have fewer children while those who have more may be punished with higher taxes
EXAMPLE: CHINA'S 'ONE CHILD POLICY'
fine couples who have more than one child while providing education and housing subsidies to those who complied with the policy

Definitions:

1. Infant Mortality rate: the number of deaths among infants under one year of age for over 1000 live births per year
2. Life Expectancy: the average number of years a person living in a particular area is expected to live
3. Rate of Natural Increase:
   Birth Rate - Death Rate = Rate of Natural Increase