Bangladesh 1993-1994 Demographic and Health ... - Measure DHS

Births per 1,000 Women25oFigure 3.1Age-Specific Fertility RatesBy Urban-Rural Residence20015o~1005015-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49Age GroupBDHS 1993-943.3 Fertility DifferentialsTable 3.2 and Figure 3.2 show differentials in fertility by division of residence and education.Fertility is highest in Chittagong Division, with a total fertility rate of 4.0 children per woman, and lowestin Rajshahi (3.0) and Khulna (3.1) Divisions. Barisal and Dhaka Divisions have intermediate levels offertility, both having total fertility rates of 3.5 children per woman.Female education is strongly related to fertility levels. At current rates, women with no formaleducation would give birth to an average of 3.8 children in their lifetime, compared to 2.6 for women withat least some secondary education, a difference of 33 percent. Women with either incomplete primary orcomplete primary education have intermediate fertility rates between these two extremes.One way of examining trends in fertility over time is to compare the total fertility rates for the threeyears preceding the survey with the average number of children ever born to women who are now at the endof their childbearing period, age 40-49. The former is a measure of current fertility, while the latter is ameasure of past or completed fertility. The data in Table 3.2 indicate that there has been a decline of aboutthree children over the past 10 to 20 years in Bangladesh, from 6.6 to 3.4 births per woman. The decline hasoccurred across all divisions and all education levels. The decline has been greater for rural (3.2 children)than urban women (2.8 children). Among the divisions, women in Rajshahi Division have apparentlyexperienced the greatest decline in fertility, with a current total fertility rate that is less than half the averagenumber of children ever born to women now in their 40s. Fertility declines have also been large amongwomen in all education groups.25