Final answer:
The total fertility rate is the average number of children a woman will have over the course of her childbearing years.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is a) Total fertility rate.
The total fertility rate is the average number of children a woman will have over the course of her childbearing years. It is a measure of the number of live births per woman in a population and is often used to understand population growth and demographic trends.
For example, if a population has a total fertility rate of 2.5, it means that, on average, each woman will have 2.5 children during her reproductive years.