The line graph presents data on changes in the total population of England and Wales from 1700 to 2000, together with trends in birth and death rates over the same period.
Overall, the population experienced a substantial and continuous increase, particularly from the nineteenth century onwards. In contrast, birth and death rates showed noticeable fluctuations, although the birth rate consistently remained higher than the death rate, thereby contributing to long-term population growth.
In 1700, the population was approximately 5 million and rose modestly to around 10 million by 1750, before declining slightly at the turn of the nineteenth century. Thereafter, population growth accelerated markedly, reaching about 25 million in 1900 and increasing further to roughly 50 million by 2000.
With regard to vital statistics, the birth rate climbed from around 30 per 1,000 people in 1700 to a peak of approximately 40 in 1750. It then declined gradually to about 25 per 1,000 by 1950, followed by a slight recovery towards the end of the period. Meanwhile, the death rate demonstrated an overall downward trend, decreasing from roughly 27 per 1,000 in 1700 to around 20 per 1,000 by 2000.