Final answer:
The average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime is called the Total Fertility Rate, which is crucial for analyzing demographic changes and population growth.
Step-by-step explanation:
The average number of children that would be born to a female during her lifetime is called the Total Fertility Rate. This measure differs from family size, which indicates the number of living children raised in the same household. The Total Fertility Rate is an essential demographic figure that helps understand the reproductive behavior of a population.
The fertility rate facilitates the analysis of population growth and potential demographic shifts when compared with mortality rates and net immigration levels. A fertility rate of less than 2.1, which is the replacement level, suggests a declining population in the absence of significant immigration, whereas a rate above 2.1 indicates a growing population.