VITAL STATISTICS
Meaning: Vital statistics are numerical records, analysis, and interpretation of numerical data of vital events occurring in the human population. By vital events, we mean the events of human life such as birth, death, sickness, marriage, migration, divorce, adoption, separation etc.
Demography
The study of human population is called demography.
Methods of obtaining Vital Statistics
- Registration method: Under this method, vital events such as births, marriages, deaths etc are recorded. The government authorities maintain the record of these vital events. This method will be successful if there is legislature regarding the registration of vital events.
- Census Method: in most countries, the census is held every 10 years. It covers data regarding, sex, age, marital status, education, occupational status, religion etc. which are needed for vital statistics. This information is available only for the census year.
Uses of Vital Statistics
- They are of great use in planning and evaluation of economic and social development of a country.
- They are useful to government agencies for administrative purposes.
- They are very useful in medical research
- They are essential in demographic research.
- They are highly useful to an individual by the way of recording birth, death, marriage, and divorce during his or her life time.
- They are also great use at the international point of view.
- They are of great use to the government to assess the impact of family welfare programs in the country.
- They are used in actuarial science (insurance).
Fertility:
It refers to the births occurring to women of child bearing age. The child bearing age is 15 to 49 years.
Fecundity:
Fecundity refers to “the capacity of a woman to bear children”
Crude Birth Rate (CBR)
It is the simplest method of measuring fertility.
CBR=(number of live births in a year/average population in the year) * 1000
CBR=(B/P) * 1000
where, B=number of live births in a year
P=average population in the year
Merits:
- Simple and easy to calculate.
- Does not need detailed information for calculation.
Demerits
- Ignores age and sex composition
- Takes men and women population into calculation
General Fertility Rate (GFR)
CBR has limitations because it compares number of live births with total population. This limitation is overcome by comparing with women of child bearing age.
GFR=(number of live births in a year/total number of women of child bearing age in the year) * 1000
\[GFR = B/\sum_{15}^{49}fP * 1000 \]
Merits
- Simple and easy to calculate.
- Considers only female population of child bearing age.
Demerits
- Does not consider age composition in child bearing age.
- Cannot be used to compare fertility rates of two or more populations.
Age Specific Fertility Rate (ASFR)
ASFR is a measurement of fertility for specified age group of females of child bearing age.
ASFR=(number of live births in a specified age group in a year/total number of females in that particular age group in a year) * 1000
Merits
- Simple to understand and easy to calculate.
- Used in computation of total fertility rate.
Demerits
- It cannot be used for comparison of fertility of different population.
- Does not indicate the growth of population due to births.
Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
This is used to compare fertility of different populations.
\[TFR=\sum_{i-15}^{49}ASFR =\sum Annual ASFRs \]
When quinquennial age groups are given then:
\[TFR= 5 \sum Quinquennial ASFRs \]
Merits
- Used to compare fertility rates of different populations.
- It gives due weightage to age composition.
Demerits
- It does not indicate the rate of growth of population due to births
- It is based on assumption that all women survive throughout child bearing age
