Fertility Decline in the Muslim World

In: Policy review: the journal of American citizenship, Issue 173

Abstract

Throughout the Ummah, or worldwide Muslim community, fertility levels are falling dramatically for countries and subnational populations -- and traditional marriage patterns and living arrangements are undergoing tremendous change. While these trends have not gone entirely unnoticed, no more than a handful of pioneering scholars and observers have as yet drawn attention to them and their potential significance. In this essay we will detail the dimensions of these changes in fertility patterns within the Muslim world, examine some of their correlates and possible determinants, and speculate about some of their implications. Adapted from the source document.