The demographic dividend is a window of opportunity in the

development of a society or nation that opens up as fertility

rates decline when faster rates of economic growth and human

development are possible when combined with effective policies and

markets. The drop in fertility rates often follows significant

reductions in child and infant mortality rates, as well as an

increase in average life expectancy. As women and families realize

that fewer children will die during infancy or childhood they will

begin to have fewer children to reach their desired number of

offspring. However, this drop in fertility rates is not immediate.

The lag between produces a generational population bulge that

surges through society. For a period of time this “bulge” is a

burden on society and increases the dependency ratio. Eventually

this group begins to enter the productive labor force. With

fertility rates continuing to fall and older generations having

shorter life expectancies, the dependency ratio declines

dramatically. This demographic shift initiates the demographic

dividend. With fewer younger dependents, due to declining

fertility and child mortality rates, and fewer older dependents,

due to the older generations having shorter life expectancies, and

the largest segment of the population of productive working age,

the dependency ratio declines dramatically leading to the

demographic dividend. Combined with effective public policies this

time period of the demographic dividend can help facilitate more

rapid economic growth and puts less strain on families. This is

also a time period when many women enter the labor force for the

first time. In many countries this time period has led to

increasingly smaller families, rising income, and rising life

expectancy rates. However, dramatic social changes can also

occur during this time, such as increasing divorce rates,

postponement of marriage, and single-person households