Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The Demographic Transition Theory explains how a country's birth rate and death rate change together as it develops economically and socially, moving population growth through a set pattern of stages.
Step 2: Stage 1, high stationary.
Both birth rate and death rate are high, so population grows very slowly or stays almost flat. This describes pre-industrial societies with poor healthcare and high infant mortality that pushes families to have many children.
Step 3: Stage 2, early expanding.
Death rate falls sharply because of better medicine, food supply and sanitation, but birth rate stays high for a while, so population grows fast. Most developing countries starting modernisation pass through this stage.
Step 4: Stage 3, late expanding.
Birth rate now also starts falling, as education, urbanisation and family planning spread, while death rate keeps falling slowly. Population growth continues but at a slower pace than stage 2.
Step 5: Stage 4, low stationary.
Both birth rate and death rate settle at low levels, so population growth becomes slow or almost zero again, but this time with a much larger total population than stage 1. Many developed countries sit in this stage.
Final Answer:
The Demographic Transition Theory has four stages: high stationary, early expanding, late expanding and low stationary, moving a population from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates.\[ \boxed{\text{High stationary} \to \text{Early expanding} \to \text{Late expanding} \to \text{Low stationary}} \]