World Development Report 1984
World Development Report 1984
World Development Report 1984
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
FIGURE 6.4 measured), delayed marriage contributes little,<br />
Average timing of reproductive events in selected types<br />
of societies<br />
and contraception virtually nothing. In Bangla-<br />
desh, Pakistan, and Nepal the pattern is similar.<br />
Bangladesh has the longest period of breastfeeding<br />
society Conception Birth (twenty-nine months) and the youngest average<br />
Y Marriage eation F sterility age at marriage for women (sixteen years). In other<br />
Modern<br />
developed<br />
t !<br />
I<br />
I - countries, such as Thailand, Korea, and Mexico,<br />
breastfeeding does not last so long, but later marriage<br />
partly compensates. In Costa Rica and Sri<br />
Lanka delayed marriage accounts for a substantial<br />
HistoricalIadeaemaraeacutfoasutnil<br />
Euro ean ] part of the low fertility rates, which are below four;<br />
in Sri Lanka breastfeeding is also important.<br />
Over time, reductions in breastfeeding have<br />
Traditional<br />
developing L<br />
' l l<br />
i<br />
I<br />
7<br />
slowed the decline in fertility in India, Indonesia,<br />
Korea, and Thailand. Delays in marriage have contributed<br />
to the decline, roughly offsetting the effect<br />
Theoretical<br />
maximumrnI111I<br />
I' !11 I 1 111IlI 11 -I<br />
I I III<br />
oi Of less breastfeeding. The major factor in fertility<br />
decline in all four countries, however, has been an<br />
fertility " increase in contraceptive use. Averaging indices<br />
15<br />
I<br />
20<br />
I<br />
25<br />
I l<br />
30 35<br />
I l<br />
40 45<br />
I |<br />
50<br />
for many countries provides a composite picture of<br />
change over a long period (see Figure 6.5). Of the<br />
Woman's age reduction in total fertility of almost 5 children over<br />
Source: Bongaarts and Potter, 1983. the whole period, delay in marriage contributes a<br />
reduction of about 1.4 children; reduced breastfeeding<br />
works in the opposite direction, raising<br />
fertility by about 1.5 children. Increased use of<br />
Even without directly altering desired family size, contraception contributes the most, about 4.5, and<br />
they can help make the goals of individuals more increased abortion contributes about 0.5.<br />
compatible with those of society at large. Breastfeeding<br />
reduces fertility by suppressing fecundity; Raising age at marriage<br />
it also reduces high infant mortality. Later marriage<br />
reduces population growth by lengthening The younger women marry, the earlier they start<br />
the interval between generations; it also fosters a childbearing and the longer they are exposed to<br />
climate that encourages women to expand their the risk of conception. They lose the chance of<br />
horizons beyond the family. longer schooling and of employment, and they<br />
Figure 6.4 illustrates how the childbearing span enter marriage with less motivation and fewer peris<br />
affected by age at marriage, breastfeeding, and sonal resources to plan their families successfully.<br />
fertility regulation. Traditional developing societies In addition, early marriage means a shorter gap<br />
achieve high fertility through marriage that is rela- between successive generations, significantly<br />
tively early and waiting times to conception that increasing the birth rate.<br />
are mostly short. Fertility would be even higher In South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa about half<br />
except for lengthy breastfeeding, complemented in of all women aged between fifteen and nineteen<br />
some instances by sexual abstinence. Today's are, or have been, married; in the Middle East and<br />
developed economies achieve low fertility by later North Africa the proportion is close to a quarter. It<br />
marriage and long periods between births, made falls to less than 20 percent in Latin America and in<br />
possible by contraception and abortion. East Asia, and to less than 5 percent in Hong Kong<br />
All these factors have played some part in reduc- and Korea. Still, variations among the countries in<br />
ing the number of babies per mother from the the- each region are considerable. In Tunisia only 5 peroretical<br />
maximum of seventeen. Their respective cent of women aged fifteen to nineteen have been<br />
contributions have been calculated for twenty-nine married, in Libya more than 70 percent. In Banglacountries<br />
covered by the <strong>World</strong> Fertility Survey desh the mean age at marriage for women is six-<br />
(see Table 6.1). In the five African countries, where teen; in Sri Lanka it is twenty-five. If Bangladesh<br />
total fertility is high, breastfeeding accounts for the could immediately adopt the Sri Lankan marriage<br />
bulk of forgone fertility (sexual abstinence was not pattern, with no other change in fertility practices,<br />
113