Population Fertility

Measurements of fertility Crude birth rate –(CBR) the most common measure of fertility; overall picture of births per 1000 population in a year example: Niger 49.62/1000, USA 14.18/1000, Hong Kong 7.37/1000 General fertility rate – indicator of likely births; index of the number of live births in a year divided by the number of women aged 15-49 Total fertility rate – (TFR) one of most useful measures; average number of children born to one woman during her lifetime. TFR worldwide average is 3; Sub-Saharan Africa is 6. example: Mali 7.3, Yemen 6.41, West Bank, 4.06, Greenland 2.39, Hong Kong 1

Global fertility rate More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs)have lower birth rates. Developing Countries have a moderate birth rate. Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs) have higher birth rates. **We do NOT say “third world”, “poor”, or “backwards” to describe LEDCs!!

Use the CIA World Factbook to gather data. “gain an appreciation of their values (CBR, FR, TFR) relative to a range of countries with different economic and social levels.” Use the CIA World Factbook to gather data. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ Account for the differences between the MEDC, LEDC, and developing countries.

Global patterns of fertility Many Middle Eastern countries have very high fertility rates. Yemen’s fertility rate is 6+ Islamic faith encourages large family, sign of blessing, also need for work Some Central American countries have higher fertility rates May be due to Catholic faith Italy contradicts this trend due to its MED status and the perceived and real costs of having children Many countries in Asia have lower rates of fertility. May be due to government policies and incentives to slow population growth. Many Sub-Saharan African countries are LED and have higher fertility rates May be due to high rates of infant mortality, disease, , and need for a labor source North American countries, like the United States, have fertility rates of 2-2.99. USA has higher status of women, availability of reliable birth control, and access to better health care Less fear of infant mortality Less need for agricultural laborers

Fertility rates High in Africa and Middle East Low in Europe Highest in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Central Asia Africa will double in 25 yrs Below replacement rates in Europe except in Iceland and Albania Below replacement rates in Asia in China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand

Socio-cultural factors affecting fertility (be able to give specific example for each item) Status of women-the more social and political power a woman has, the more control over her own fertility she has Level of education –education often delays marriage, makes women more economically independent, and better able to control her own fertility, can provide for herself in old age Nature of employment –women in “fast track” professional careers may delay marriage or choose not to have children (example, please); some companies are helping women to balance career/family; flex-time, maternity leave, family benefits type of residence (living conditions) –people who live in poor areas of a MEDC or in a LEDC often lack the resources to maintain good health or seek medical attention for their children. Still births and high infant mortality rates are more common; therefore, people may choose to have more children to compensate. Religion- the Catholic faith does not support the use of birth control and believes there is a command to “go forth and multiply”. The Muslim faith promotes the idea of a large family to extend the faith and bring glory to one’s family; “cradle more important than the sword”. health care- governments in MEDCs often provide free or subsidized health care to its citizens. Women receive better prenatal care and infants survive into adulthood at a much higher rate. There is little need to have extra children as a buffer. Family status –In some societies, the more children that a man fathers, the greater his status. In those societies, he may father children by more than one woman.

Economic factors: how is fertility affected by the real and perceived costs of having children? In many LEDCs families are forced to have more children b/c the governments cannot afford to provide old age pensions. Families have more children to help provide for their old age Have more children to help support the family- farming, factories, or in street businesses cannot afford or do not have access to birth control MEDCs have more money to spend on health care, including family planning education and birth control; women determine how many children they have Many women who choose to go to school or work are delaying marriage or not having children= lower fertility rates in those countries

Problems with high and low fertility rate