Summary:
- Major changes in the human population first began during the 1700s in Europe and North America.
- First death rates fell, followed somewhat later by birth rates.
- The transition can be summarized in the following four stages.
- Stage 1: High birth and death rates lead to slow population growth.
- Stage 2: The death rate falls but the birth rate remains high, leading to faster growth.Stage 3: The birth rate starts to fall, so population growth starts to slow.Stage 4: Birth rate reaches the same low level as the death rate, and population growth slows to zero.