Suchergebnisse

SummarySince the end of World War II, the Guam native population, who are mostly Roman Catholics, has undergone one of the most dramatic socioeconomic developments ever recorded. They have rapidly become incorporated into the dominant American culture and economy. This accelerated process of modernization has been accompanied by a very sharp fertility decline. One reason for this decline has been the increasing defection of Guam Roman Catholic women from the traditional teaching of their Church on the subject of birth control. This trend of fertility decline, although at higher levels, resembles that of East Asian countries with rapid fertility decline.

This study attempts to determine the extent to which several hypotheses are able to account for the illegitimate fertility decline in England in the second half of the nineteenth century. The results of a pooled time-series analysis are consistent with the hypothesis that a rise in working-class prosperity accounts for much of the decline. Additional reasons for the decline, which cannot be ruled out with the data used in the analysis, include the diffusion of knowledge and the acceptability of contraceptive methods and a decline in agricultural employment.

SummaryThis paper examines the continuation from 1971 to 1975 of the fertility decline in Sri Lanka that commenced in 1960. New trends in contractive practice, especially of female sterilizations in 1974–76, are discussed, and change in the pattern of childbearing is identified. The fertlity decline is compared with that in Taiwan.

Fertility in Malawi has been declining since the late 1980s. Total Fertility Rate is reported to have declined by 1.1 children per woman from 5.7 in 2010 to 4.6 in 2015. This reduction indicates a continuing rapid decline in fertility in the country. In view of the foregoing, this study aims to examine the influence of the age structure of the population, nuptiality, and marital fertility on fertility in Malawi. This study used the Malawi Demographic and Health Survey data from 1992, 2000, 2004, 2010, and 2015–2016. Standardization and decomposition methods were used to re-examine fertility trends in Malawi. The results confirms that fertility is declining in Malawi and the fall is clustered among women younger than 30 years of age. The contribution of marital fertility to the decline of Total Fertility Rate was 65.0% during the period 1992–2000, 89.5% during 2000–2004, 2.6% during 2004–2010, and 4.3% during 2010–2015, respectively. Over the same period, the respective contribution of the proportion married was 29.4%, 10.8%, 77.9%, and 92.6%. These percentages suggest that marital fertility followed by proportion of married were important factors before 2005. After 2005, fertility levels and patterns in Malawi are largely influenced by nuptiality. However, there is need for further studies to explain the marriage and fertility nexus in the Malawian context.

The future size of world population depends critically on what happens in sub-Saharan Africa, the one remaining region with high fertility and rapid population growth. The United Nations envisages a continuing slow pace of fertility change, from five births per woman today to three by mid-century, in which case the population of the region will increase by over one billion. However, an accelerated decline is feasible, particularly in east Africa. The main grounds for optimism include rising international concern and funding for family planning (after fifteen years of neglect), and favourable shifts in the attitudes of political leaders in Africa. The examples of Ethiopia and Rwanda show political will and efficient programmes can stimulate rapid reproductive change.

Venezuela has experienced significant economic development during recent decades, although rapid population growth has partially offset economic gains. During the five-year period 1969-1973, the gross national product increased at an annual rate of 5.0 percent, which, coupled with population growth, yielded real per capita increases of 2.6 percent annually. Relatively smooth transition in the nationalization of the Venezuelan oil industry in 1976 presents a favorable assessment for the economy during the next decade. Yet while there has been notable progress in conventional economic indicators, there have been less rapid improvements in education, nutrition, and health. This paper examines past trends in Venezuelan population growth within the context of general social and economic development. Because of the importance of fertility in affecting population growth, particular attention is paid to fertility trends.