Demographic Trends: Death Rate & Life Expectancy (AQA A Level Sociology): Revision Note

Death rate

• The death rate is defined as

the number of deaths per 1,000 of the population per year

• One reason for population growth in the UK is the declining death rate

• Trends in the UK since 1900:

  • The death rate has declined

  • In 1900, the UK death rate was approximately 19 per 1,000

  • By 2019, the rate had fallen to 9.1 per 1,000

  • This decline has contributed significantly to the ageing population in the UK

Life expectancy

• Life expectancy is defined as

the average number of years a person born in a given year can expect to live

• Trends in the UK since 1900:

  • Life expectancy has increased

  • Males born in 1900 could expect to live until around 50 years

  • Females born in 1900 had an average life expectancy of about 57 years

  • By 2023, according to the ONS (2025):

    • Males could expect to live to 78.8 years

    • Females could live up to 82.8 years

Class, gender, and regional differences

• Working-class men are three times more likely to die before the age of 65 than men in professional jobs

• People living in the north of England and Scotland have lower life expectancy than those in the south

• Women generally live longer than men, but the gender gap is narrowing due to changes in lifestyle, such as women’s increasing involvement in paid work and smoking

Reasons for the decline in death rate and increase in life expectancy

• Sociologists have identified several key factors that explain the long-term decline in death rates and the significant rise in life expectancy in the UK since the 19th century

Improved living standards & nutrition

• According to McKeown (1976), better nutrition accounts for up to half of the reduction in death rates from 1850 to 1970

• Wage rises have lifted people out of poverty so they can afford better housing and more nutritional food

• Stronger immune systems made people more resistant to infectious diseases

• Although it is difficult to explain why females, who generally receive a smaller share of the family food supply, live longer than males

Medical improvements

• From the 1950s onwards, medical advances played an increasing role in reducing death rates

• These included:

  • development of antibiotics, vaccinations, and blood transfusions

  • expansion of maternity care and specialist treatments

• The founding of the NHS in 1948 provided universal access to free healthcare, contributing to a steady improvement in public health

Public health measures

• Government-led initiatives in the 20th century significantly improved the physical environment:

  • Better housing, public sanitation systems, and improved drainage and waste disposal

  • Clean water supplies reduced waterborne illnesses like cholera

  • Legislation such as the Clean Air Act reduced pollution and respiratory diseases

Improved education and lifestyle

• Greater public awareness of hygiene, health, and disease prevention has led to widespread adoption of healthier lifestyles

• People became more aware of the risks of:

  • poor diet and lack of exercise

  • smoking and alcohol consumption

• Smoking rates have dropped dramatically:

  • From over 40% in the 1970s to just 11.9% in 2023 (ASH, 2024)

• Although obesity rates have increased, medical treatments and drug therapies have helped reduce obesity-related deaths

Other social changes

• Introduction of the Welfare State ensured support for vulnerable groups:

  • Access to free healthcare, disability benefits, and pensions for the elderly and sick

• Decline in dangerous manual labour reduced workplace-related deaths

• Smaller family sizes improved home hygiene and reduced the spread of infections

Implications of a declining death rate and rising life expectancy

• As death rates have fallen and life expectancy has risen since 1900, sociologists have identified several key impacts on family life, population structure, and social policy

  • These overlap closely with the consequences of an ageing population

Family structure

• People are living longer, so more generations of a family are alive at the same time

• This has contributed to the rise of the beanpole family

• Longer life expectancy also creates a 'sandwich' generation

• Grandparents are alive for longer and often provide childcare, supporting dual-earner families and strengthening intergenerational bonds

Family diversity

• Rising life expectancy has increased the number of one-person pensioner households, as people live on alone after a partner dies

• These households are mainly women, who tend to live longer than men

  • Chambers (2012) calls this the 'feminisation of later life'

• This adds to family diversity but can also lead to social isolation for some older people

The dependency ratio

• The dependency ratio refers to the relationship between the working-age population and the non-working dependent population (children and retirees)

• As more people survive into old age, the proportion of elderly dependents rises, increasing the burden on the working-age population

• Families (often women) may take on the unpaid care of elderly relatives

Public services & policies

• An ageing population increases demand for healthcare, social care, and pension provision

• Hirsch (2005) argues this presents major policy challenges, such as funding pensions and adapting housing to the needs of older people

• In response, the state has raised the pension age

Evaluation

• Blaikie (1999) offers a more positive view, arguing that many older people are now healthy, financially independent and active

  • He describes this as a 'third age' of leisure and consumption, rather than a period of decline and dependency

• However, Pilcher (1995) highlights that old age can deepen inequality

  • Working-class and female pensioners often have lower incomes and life expectancy than middle-class men

    • Therefore the benefits of a longer life are not shared equally