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Zambia Demographic and Health Survey 2001-2002 - Measure DHS

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Results from the <strong>2001</strong>-<strong>2002</strong> Z<strong>DHS</strong> indicate that women in <strong>Zambia</strong> in their late twenties haveabout 2.9 children. By the time they reach the end of their reproductive years (age 45-49), women in<strong>Zambia</strong> have given birth, on average, to 7.4 children, with 5.8 surviving.The most significant difference in the total number of children ever born between all women <strong>and</strong>currently married women is found in the youngest age group, 15-19. This is because many women in thisage group have not yet married <strong>and</strong> hence the exposure to the risk of pregnancy is lower than for olderwomen. Differences at older ages (40-44 <strong>and</strong> 45-49) reflect the impact of marital dissolution (divorce orwidowhood) on fertility.The parity distribution of older, currently married women provides a measure of primaryinfertility, that is, the proportion of women who are unable to have children at all. This is becausevoluntary childlessness is rare in <strong>Zambia</strong>, <strong>and</strong> married women with no live births are likely to be unableto have children.Z<strong>DHS</strong> results suggest that primary infertility is low in <strong>Zambia</strong>, with about 2 percent of all womenunable to have children. It should be noted, however, that this estimate of primary infertility does notinclude women who had one or more births, but who are unable to have more children (secondaryinfertility).Figure 4.6 shows the distribution of all men <strong>and</strong> currently married men by mean number ofchildren ever born. The mean number of children ever born among all men (3.1 children) is similar to themean number of children ever born among all women (3 children) (Table 4.6). However, the meannumber of children ever born among currently married men is higher than the mean number of childrenever born among currently married women. This may be due to the high prevalence of polygynousmarriages in <strong>Zambia</strong>. Men in such marriages often have more children than other men because havingmore than one wife increases the likelihood that they will father a greater number of children.Figure 4.6 Percent Distribution of All Men <strong>and</strong> CurrentlyMarried Men by Number of Children Ever Born,According to Age Group15.0Mean number of children ever born10.05.00.010.010.49.4 9.58.58.96.6 6.95.34.85.23.93.53.12.31.91.40.80.50.015-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 TotalAge groupAll menCurrently married menZ<strong>DHS</strong> <strong>2001</strong>-<strong>2002</strong>Fertility │ 63

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