In which situation can the population growth rate decline even though the population is still increasing?

Correct answer: Births exceed deaths, but the gap becomes smaller than before

Direct answer: Option A. A population can continue to increase as long as additions are greater than removals, but its growth rate can decline when the difference becomes smaller. For example, if births exceed deaths by 500 in one period and by 200 in the next, the population still grows in both periods, but the amount and rate of growth are lower in the second period. Option A states exactly this condition. Option B would produce negative natural change if migration did not offset it, so population would tend to decline rather than keep increasing. Option C is impossible as a condition for a growing population. Option D is unrelated to population growth and is not a demographic measure. The key distinction is between direction and speed: positive growth tells us that population is increasing; a declining rate tells us that it is increasing more slowly. Memory cue: “still positive, but smaller” means growth continues at a lower rate.