If the death rate declines but out-migration increases, what should be done to know the final change?

Correct answer: Subtract out-migration to see the total effect

Answer: B, subtract out-migration while calculating the combined effect. A lower death rate tends to increase natural change because fewer people are being lost through deaths. However, out-migration removes people from the region, so it has a negative effect on that region’s total population. The useful relationship is total change = births − deaths + in-migration − out-migration. Therefore, one must consider births, deaths and both directions of migration rather than judging from one rate. B is correct because out-migration is subtracted from the regional total. A is wrong because the death rate alone cannot show the final change. C is wrong because migration is movement of people, not a birth event. D is wrong because in-migration may be present and cannot be assumed to be zero without information. Memory cue: people leaving are written with a minus sign.