Demographic and Health Surveys Methodology - Measure DHS

Statistics: Crude Birth RateDefinitionThe crude birth rate (CBR) is the annual average number of births per thousand of the whole population.A. Numerator: Total number of births in the three years preceding the survey.B. Denominator: Total number of person-years of exposure during the three years preceding thesurvey.CalculationA. The crude birth rate is calculated by summing the product of the current age-specific fertility ratesby the proportion of women in the specific age group out of the total de facto population.B. Proportion of women in the specific age group.C. Numerator: From the household survey, the number of women who slept in the household thenight before the interview tabulated by five-year age group (according to age reported in thehousehold schedule) for groups 15–19, …, 45–49.D. Denominator: From the household survey, the total number of people of both sexes and all ageswho slept in the household the night before the interview.Handling of Missing ValuesSex of household member is always assigned. It may be possible that in early DHS surveys sex hadmissing values. In that case the household member was included in the denominator.Women with unknown age are assumed to be outside the 15–49 year range; thus they are not tabulated fornumerators.People of either sex with unknown age are included in the denominators.Notes and ConsiderationsAssumptions—Due to the lack of birth dates for the household population, the proportion of women ineach age group at the time of the survey is assumed to be the same as the proportion at the midpoint of thetime period.Guide to DHS Statistics 32 Updated September 2006