The line graph illustrates the birth rate, population growth rate and death rate in Scotland between 1940 and 2020, measured in percentages.
Overall, all three figures show a general downward trend over the period. The birth rate remained higher than the other two for most years, while the population growth rate fell sharply and became the lowest by the end. The death rate decreased at first but then slightly increased in the final years.
In 1940, the birth rate was the highest at around 2.5%, followed by the death rate at about 1.4%, while population growth stood at just under 1%. During the next decade, the birth rate dropped noticeably, although it saw a small rise again around 1950. Meanwhile, population growth increased and reached its peak at approximately 1.4% in the early 1950s. After that, all figures declined. The birth rate fell steadily to below 1% by around 1990 and then remained quite stable with minor changes. Population growth continued to decrease and reached nearly zero by the early 2000s. The death rate, in contrast, stayed low for a long time but began to rise slightly after 2000, finishing at around 0.5% in 2020. The trends show that Scotland experienced lower growth and changing demographin patterns over time.