PAPP101 - S01: Demography on the world stage

Births, deaths and migration (cont.)

Definitions

Here are some definitions of terms used by demographers.

• Mortality
  • "The process whereby deaths occur in a population" (Pressat 1985)
• Fertility
  • Refers to the number of live births a woman has already had, i.e. actual reproduction.
• Fecundity
  • Refers to the physiological ability to reproduce (i.e. both to conceive and to carry a pregnancy to term)
  • A woman is considered fecund if she is capable of bearing a live birth.
• Migration
  • More difficult to precisely define than other terms.
  • Refers to the movement of individuals (or groups) which involves a permanent or semi-permanent change of residence.
  • But how far do individuals have to move for them to be considered a migrant?
  • And how long do they need to stay in the new residence for?