Global Mortality Map and European Birth Rate Trends

World Mortality Map

Map of Mortality Matrona

1) This thematic world map is held in Beijing and shows mortality in the world. It is expressed as the number of deaths per 100,000 births and was produced from data collected by the World Bank on development in January 2005.

It can be observed that mortality is concentrated in Africa, India, Southeast Asia, Mongolia and Bolivia. The intermediate level is found in most of Latin America, Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Iran. Finally, mortality is low in most territories.

2) Students should argue that this can be considered an indicator of inequality, since it is directly related to the degree of development and health. Regarding these differences, they are related to the resources available in each country, which determine the possibility of access to prenatal care, childbirth and adequate medical care in a hospital at the time of birth. As a result, while most developed countries can access health services, in developing countries women face the opposite situation.

Women in the Production System

3) In major developed countries, the tertiary sector and secondary productive activities have added value, and women have achieved access to qualified jobs, where urban areas concentrate most of the female workforce in the service sector and, although not yet a majority, have a presence in managerial positions.

In contrast, in developing countries the primary sector predominates, along with a secondary sector based on manufacturing production. This makes women, despite being the main agricultural producers, active in both sectors, especially in textile manufacturing, without recognized work activities. These activities are carried out under conditions that would be unacceptable in a developed country.

Access to Training

The differences in this field are very important: in developed countries almost the entire female population has access to various levels of training, while in developing countries the vast majority has access only to primary education, a minority to secondary education, and most of the population is illiterate. This is especially true in rural areas.

Access to Politics

In this field the differences are also important. In developed countries, women have gradually gained greater representation, and some have even reached the highest office in their state. However, in developing countries their presence in political life is very restricted or non-existent.

It is worth highlighting that in this field, cultural factors such as religion have an influence.

Sample Countries

Finally, regarding the sample countries, the results may be very diverse, so they must be evaluated with caution, as they are not very representative.

• Developed countries: Germany, Great Britain, Norway, Spain...
• Developing countries: Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Chad...

Birth Rate in Europe

Text on Birth Rate in Europe

1) In the following text, the main ideas are: the EU needs to increase the birth rate, because the forecast decline in mortality will increase the aging of the population and its social protection systems and immigration. It depends on the European Commission proposal to present measures to reconcile professional and family life (more maternity leave, more legal protection, etc.). To promote birth and thus avoid a lack of labor and a shortage of workers, the committee must compel member states to include these proposals, and the policies that do not include them.

2) Birth Rate: refers to the number of live births in a year.

Fertility rate: is defined as the number of live births in the population of childbearing age (women between 15 and 49 years old). The birth rate is related to total inhabitants instead of the fertility rate, which relates births to the number of women of childbearing age, a more accurate way to see whether there are few or many children.

A demographic projection is a calculation based on trends in the population, used to deduce or forecast the future evolution. To prepare it, birth, death, migration, life expectancy and especially fertility are studied.

3) Students should focus on the presentation of the current population dynamics in Europe and refer to some of the main aspects of the topic. In Europe, the birth rate is very low and is often below the replacement level of one generation by another, which is 2.1 children per woman. Low birth rates and low infant mortality, together with very high life expectancy, produce aging of the population. As a consequence, the population is aging. This situation is common in most countries of Europe, where population is stagnant.

The population of Europe grows fundamentally through immigration. The percentage of immigration in population growth is higher than natural growth. Immigrants must contribute to a larger increase in fertility and the rejuvenation of the population.

In terms of the factors that explain the dynamics of the population of Europe, socioeconomic and cultural variables must be considered, such as contraceptives, the increased access of women to the labor market, education level and their ability to decide, the costs of raising and educating children, the delay in having the first child, and structural changes in the family.

Advances in medicine and the increase in the standard of living have considerably augmented life expectancy. Female longevity is especially remarkable, due to biological and sociological factors, which is fundamentally a consequence of this.

The decrease in fertility, the reduction in mortality rates and the increase in life expectancy are the main changes. It is foreseen that in the whole of the natural growth process, the decline is due to fertility, as the deaths of the baby boom generation after World War II are taking place.

Demographic policies in Europe have had mixed success depending on the country. Many incentivize births with measures such as extending maternity leave, reducing taxes, facilitating flexible timetables and economic assistance, which can be offset in some countries by even delaying the first years of life of children and their growth.

It seems that the most effective measures are found in the reconciliation of family and professional life and in the protection of working women.