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Levels and differentials Determinants of fertility Fertility preferences and ideal family size © 2007 Min Zaw, Courtesy of Photoshare

2.3 At current fertility levels, a woman in Myanmar will have an average of 2.3 children in her lifetime.

Fertility Differentials Births per woman for the 3-year period before the survey The TFR for the 3 years preceding the survey is 2.3 births per woman, with rural women having about 0.5 children more on average than urban women.

Fertility by Education Births per woman for the 3-year period before the survey Women’s level of education is strongly associated with fertility. TFR decreases with education from 3.6 among women with no education to 1.5 among women with more than secondary education.

Fertility by Wealth Births per woman for the 3-year period before the survey Fertility is also strongly associated with wealth. TFR among women in the poorest households is higher than women from the wealthiest households. Poorest households Wealthiest households

Fertility by Region/State Births per woman based on the 3-year period before the survey Myanmar 2.3 Regionally, TFR is lowest in Yangon and Magway at 1.8 births per woman and highest in Chin at 4.6 births per woman.

Fertility in the Region Births per woman for the 3-year period before the survey

2013 Kyaw Kyaw Winn, Courtesy of Photoshare Levels and differentials Determinants of fertility Fertility preferences and ideal family size 2013 Kyaw Kyaw Winn, Courtesy of Photoshare

Birth Intervals In addition to their impact on fertility, birth intervals also affect the health of mothers and their children. The median birth interval in Myanmar is 49 months. Spacing children at least 36 months apart reduces the risk of infant death. The median birth interval in Myanmar is 49 months, meaning half of births occur before 49 months and the remaining half occur after 49 months.

Length of Birth Intervals 13% of births occur less than 24 months after the preceding birth. Doctors recommend a birth interval of at least 36 months 13% of children are born less than 24 months after a previous birth.

Teenage Childbearing 5% of young women between the ages of 15-19 are already mothers and 1% are pregnant with their first child. 6% of women age 15-19 are already mothers or pregnant with their first child.

Teenage Childbearing by Education Percent of young women age 15-19 who are mothers or pregnant with their first child Teenage fertility is highest among women with no education- 19%. Very few teenage women with more than secondary education have begun childbearing.

Current Marital Status: Women Percent distribution of women age 15-49 by current marital status 60% of women are currently married. One-third of women have never been married.

Polygyny Percent of currently married women and men age 15-49 who are in polygynous unions 5% of currently married women and 4% of currently married men are in polygynous unions.

Median Age at First Sex, Marriage, and Birth Among women and men age 25-49 Women in Myanmar marry at a median age of 22.1 years. Men marry about 2 years later, at a median age of 24.5. Women initiate sexual intercourse just after marriage, at a median age of 22.5. Men initiate sexual activity about a year before marriage, on average, at a median age of 23.6. The median age at first birth is 24.7 NA

Age at First Sexual Intercourse Percent of women and men age 25-49 who had sexual intercourse by: Very few women and men had sex by age 15. 17% of women and 8% of men had sex by age 18.

© 2009 Kyaw Kyaw Winn, Courtesy of Photoshare Levels and differentials Determinants of fertility Fertility preferences and ideal family size © 2009 Kyaw Kyaw Winn, Courtesy of Photoshare

Fertility Preferences of Married Women Percent distribution of currently married women age 15-49 by desire for children in the future 61% of currently married women want no more children or are sterilised. 13% of women want another child soon (within 2 years) while 18% of women want another child 2 or more years later.

Fertility Preferences of Married Men Percent distribution of currently married men age 15-49 by desire for children in the future 46% of currently married men want no more children or are sterilised. 19% of men want another child soon (within 2 years) while 25% of men want another child 2 or more years later.

Mean ideal number of children among women and men age 15-49 Ideal Family Size Mean ideal number of children among women and men age 15-49 Currently married women and men report that they would like an average of about 3 children. Ideal family size is a little lower among all women and men.

Birth Planning Percent distribution of births to women in the 5 years before the survey by birth planning status More than 90% of births were wanted at the time they occurred.

Difference between Wanted and Actual Fertility Rates 2.3 1.9 Overall, women are having close to their desired fertility. The wanted fertility rate measures the potential demographic impact of avoiding unwanted births. It is calculated in the same manner as the total fertility rate but excludes unwanted births from the numerator. A birth is considered wanted if the number of living children at the time of conception is less than the ideal number of children reported by the respondent. The gap between wanted and actual fertility shows how successful women are in achieving their reproductive intentions. 2.4

Key Findings Women have an average of 2.3 children. Women have first marriage at 22.1 years, first sex at a median age of 22.5 years, and their first birth at 24.7 years. 61% of married women and 46% of married men want no more children. Women report their ideal family size as 2.5 children while men report 2.8.