Crude birth and death rates are only broad indicators of fertility and mortality because they do not account for the age and sex distribution of the population. Specifically, crude rates do not consider whether people are within child-bearing ages, which most impacts fertility, or whether deaths are occurring among those past child-bearing years, which does not impact fertility. As such, crude rates alone do not provide a full picture of fertility and mortality trends.

1. Question 1.Why are crude birth and death rates regarded as only broad indicators of fertility and mortality?

2. Definitions: Crude birth rate: the number of births per thousand population in a given year. Crude death rate: the number of deaths per thousand population in a given year.

3. Fertility: the natural capability of giving life. Mortality: the number of deaths in a given time.

4. Crude birth rate is a broad indicator as it does not take into account the age and sex distribution of the populationfor example:

5. >Those in the young dependant are not considered as they have not passed the child bearing age of 16-49. >Which means that those in the economically active affect fertility rates more than any age group as they are in the child bearing age

6. >Those in the elderly dependant affect fertility as the women are past the child bearing age and so are the men.

7. Death rate is also only a broad indicator as it is also heavily influenced by the age structure of the population for example:

8. >If they was a high death rate in the economically dependant the fertility rate will be affected as this is the child bearing stage.

9. >High crude death rates in the elderly dependant will not affect fertility as both male and female have passed the child bearing age people in this age group.