So here we have an example problem that asks, in the stages of industrialization graph down below, the mortality rate drops rapidly in stage 2. What is the primary reason for this? And we've got these 4 potential answer options down below. And so notice that this graph here is actually showing you a different perspective of demographic transition, which recall from our last lesson video is when a country develops and industrializes, and goes from having really high birth rates and mortality or death rates, indicated by these really high green and red lines, to having really low birth rates and mortality rates. And so, again, this problem wants us to determine what is the primary reason for the mortality rate dropping rapidly in stage 2.
So notice here is stage 2 and the red line dropping rapidly that decreased. They want to know what's the primary reason for that. Now notice that answer option a says birth rates have increased so that more people are alive at any given time. But notice that in this graph, the birth rates indicated by these green lines, aren't really going up at any point. It's really just going down. And so, the birth rates have not increased and that's not going to be the main reason.
So, we can eliminate answer option a. And notice that answer option d says birth rates decrease so fewer people are alive at any given time. Now it is true the birth rates here, this green line, it does decrease, but it decreases after the mortality rates decrease. So the decrease in birth rates is not going to be the main reason for the decrease in mortality rates. So for that reason, we can eliminate answer option d.
So now we're between either option b or option c, and notice option c says farming technology improves, so fewer people are required to work on farms. Now although this may be true that the farming technology improves and there are fewer people working on farms, that's not going to be the primary and most direct reason for the drop in mortality rate in stage 2. And so for that reason, we can cross that off, and this leaves answer option b, which is the correct answer. And it says healthcare improves, allowing people to live longer. And so as people are able to live longer, that's going to reduce the amount of deaths that are occurring, and that is really the main reason for the mortality rate drop in stage 2.
And so b here is the correct answer to this example problem, and that concludes this problem. So I'll see you all in our next video.