Developing countries have high birth rates because

• Many parents will have a lot of children in the expectation that some will die because of the high infant mortality rate
• Large families can help in looking after the farm
• The children will be able to look after their parents if they become old or sick; there may not be a old age pension scheme
• There may be a shortage of family planning facilities and advice

This scattergraph shows that a country with a high infant mortality (many children dieing young) will tend to have a higher birth rate.

Developed countries have low birth rates because

• It is expensive to look after large families
• More women prefer to concentrate on their careers
• Increasing sexual equality has meant women have more control over their own fertility
• There is a ready availability of contraception and family planning advice

Death Rates

Developing countries have high death rates because, in many cases, there are

• Dirty, unreliable water supplies
• Poor housing conditions
• Poor access to medical sevices
• Endemic disease in some countries
• Diets that are short in calories and/or protein

Developed countries have low death rates because, in many cases, there are

• Good housing conditions
• Safe water supplies
• More than enough food to eat
• Advanced medical services which are easy to access

Some developed countries have a high death rate as they have an ageing population with many older people.