Natality Rate - Natality

Natality rate or birth rate is determined by dividing the number of individuals born by unit time and is expressed as follows:

Natality rate =  ΔNn / Δt

Δ Nn = production of new individuals in a population

Δ t = unit time

Natality rate can also be determined as the number of new individuals per unit of time per unit of population. This is called specific natality rate and can be expressed as:

Natality rate per unit of population = ΔNn / N Δ t

N may represent the total population or only the reproductive part of the population, i.e. females, for example, in higher organisms natality rate is per female. Natality rate is zero or positive but never negative. The measurement of natality or birth rate is highly dependent on the type of organism being studied. Some species breed once a year, some breed several times a year and others breed continuously. Some produce many seeds or eggs, and others few.

For example, a single oyster can produce 55 to 114 million eggs, whereas birds usually lay between 1 and 20 eggs. Also the specific natality rate differs for individuals of different age groups in the population. For example in a rabbit population for 1 to 2 year old females the specific natality rate is average 4 young ones per year per female, while for females of less than 1 year the rate is 1.5 on an average. Since natality is the concept referring to the population and not to the isolated individuals, the average reproductive capacity should be taken as the measure of natality, and not the capacity of the most productive or least productive individuals.