In the demographic transition theory, stage II represents a stage where

Analyze the question: It asks what happens in Stage II of the demographic transition model (DTM).

Concept: the four/five stages of the DTM

• Stage I (High stationary): High birth rate and high death rate, so population growth is slow or nil. Death rates fluctuate because of famine, disease and war.
• Stage II (Early expanding): Death rates fall sharply because of better medicine, sanitation and food supply. Birth rates stay high, so population grows rapidly.
• Stage III (Late expanding): Birth rates begin to fall, death rates stay low, and growth slows.
• Stage IV (Low stationary): Birth and death rates are both low, so population is stable.
• Stage V (in some versions): Birth rates fall below death rates, so population declines.

Evaluate the options:

• A. Declining birth rates with low death rates and little growth describes Stage III or IV, so it is wrong.
• B. High birth rate with low death rate cannot give "no growth". That is contradictory, so it is wrong.
• C. Population growth due to high birth rates and low death rates is the standard description of Stage II. This is correct.
• D. High birth and high but fluctuating death rates with slow growth describes Stage I, so it is wrong.
• E. This also describes high birth and high fluctuating death rates, which is Stage I. It also wrongly claims "very high growth", so it is wrong.

Answer: Stage II is the period of population growth because birth rates remain high while death rates have dropped.

Exam tip: Remember the pattern "High-High, Fall-High, Fall-Fall, Low-Low" for birth and death rates across the stages. Death rates fall first (Stage II), then birth rates follow (Stage III). Stage II is the "population explosion" stage, and many developing countries, including Nigeria, are often described as being in Stage II or early Stage III.