Fertility Mortality

1. 1.2a Fertility and Influencing
Factors
Fertility can be measured in several
different ways which can sometimes make
the topic confusing. It is therefore
important to distinguish between the main
types of fertility so that confusion is
minimised.

2. 1.2b Fertility-Measures
 Fertility Rate—this is the number of
children born to women of child-bearing
age.
 Total Fertility Rate (TFR)—this is the
number of children a woman in a particular
population is expected to have during her
lifetime based on current birth rates for
that particular population. TFR’s can be
calculated at the local, national and global
scale. For example, the TFR for the world is
a little over three.

3. 1.2c Fertility Measures
 Birth Rate—the proportion of a
population that is newborn.
 Crude Birth Rate—the most frequent
measure of fertility-it is the number
of live births per annum compared to
the total population and is expressed
numerically per 1000.
 Fecundity.

4. 1.2d Which factors influence
fertility?
 Education of women or literacy rates
 Culture and Religion
 Personal choices
 Standard of living and wealth
 Mortality rates and infant mortality
 Health issues
 political policy--
incentives/disincentives

5. 1.2e Grouping the influences
 The previous list of factors can be
more conveniently grouped under
headings such as:
 Sociocultural factors
 Economic factors

6. Percentage of women of child
bearing age and fertility rates
% women of
child bearing age
Fertility rate
1965 1991 1970 1991
Low Income
countries
46 51 6 3.8
Middle
income
countries
45 49 5 3.2
High Income
countries
42 49 3.9 2.1
World
46 50 5 3.3

7. 1.2f Sociocultural Examples
Sociocultural Examples Example
The Status of Women In some Sub Saharan African nations women have limited
access to an education and are expected to tend crops
and raise families. In such countries the TFR is high.
Low Literacy Rates As above, but sometimes a lack of education about matters
such as child birth and contraceptive measures can
lead to higher fertility rates.
Nature of Employment In LEDC's many children are needed to assist with generating
income in labour intensive industries like farming.
In MEDC's secondary and tertiary industries dominate and
laws prohibit child labour.
Health Care Disease, particularly the AIDS virus in Botswana, Africa.
Here the TFR of 2.85 is significantly below the world
average of 3.1 due to a higher than usual mortality rate
of women of child-bearing age.
Religion Devout Catholicism for example prohibits the use of some
forms of contraception (e.g. the condom).
Attitudes and Values For some communities abortion is simply not an option.

8. 1.2g Economic Influences
 In MEDC’s the
high cost of
rearing children
has lead to
falling fertility
and negative
population
growth
 In LEDC’s where
the economy is
predominantly
agrarian, fertility
remains high.

9. 1.2h Spatial
Patterns
 Orange=above
replacement level.
 yellow=replacement
level.
 Blue =below
replacement level.
 2.1 is the rate
required to achieve a
replacement level in
the population.
 Currently, 61
countries have a TFR
of 2.1 or less.
 The USA has the
highest TFR in the
“Western World” of
2.1.
Selected Country World Rank Fertility
Childre
n/wom
an
Continent
Niger 1 7.5 Africa
Somalia 2 7.3 Africa
Malawi 14 6.4 Africa
Ivory Coast 45 5.2 Africa
Philippines 77 3.5 Asia
Turkey 116 2.5 Europe
USA 129 2.1 North America
New Zealand 134 2 Oceania
UK 154 1.7 Europe
Sweden 170 1.5 Europe
Russia 191 1.2 Europe/Asia
Czech Republic 197 1.1 Europe

10. Non-replacement of the population
 Anxiety amongst MEDC’s
 Weaken a countries position in the world
 Supporting an ageing population
 Influenced by better health and welfare
provision
 Improved pre-natal care
 Emancipation of women
 High cost of child care
 High cost of housing
 Government Policy
 Decline in reproductive age sector