Question

Birth rate measures number of births during a year per what population?

• A. 100
• B. 1000
• C. 10000
• D. 100000

Hint:

Recall the standard denominator used for crude birth rate in demography.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question wants the standard denominator population figure that the birth rate is calculated against every year.

Step 2: Key Fact or Approach:
Demography uses fixed, internationally accepted bases for different vital statistics, and recalling the specific base used for birth rate, as opposed to death rate, maternal mortality or disease incidence, answers this directly.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
The crude birth rate is defined as the total number of live births recorded in a year divided by the mid year population of the area, with the result expressed per 1,000 people.
For example, if a region records 20 births for every 1,000 residents in a year, its crude birth rate is stated as 20.
A base of 100 would produce awkward decimal figures for most real populations, since yearly births are a small fraction of the total.
Bases of 10,000 and 100,000 are used elsewhere in public health statistics, such as disease incidence or maternal mortality ratio, but not for the standard birth rate.

Step 4: Final Answer:
Birth rate is measured per 1,000 population, so option (b) is correct.