History I / Demography and Migration
Practice question · Estimate

In a pre-transition society with high child mortality, roughly how many births were needed for three children to reach adulthood?

Estimate on a scale from 3 to 9.

Hints
  1. Work backwards from the number of survivors wanted.
  2. With roughly half dying young, the births must be doubled.
Show the answer

6 births (answers within ±1 count)

Why

About six. Which is exactly why the number falls when child mortality does: the target was never six children, it was three survivors, and the fertility was the price of the mortality.

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