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Fertility trajectory in Mozambique by region and education, 1987 to 2007

Francisco Macaringue, Alberto João Macaringue and Julia Rodrigues Pessane
Adriana Miranda-Ribeiro, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)
Laura L. R. R. Wong, Cedeplar/Ufmg

Sub-Saharan Africa was the last region in the world to record a drop in fertility levels, however, at a very slow pace. Some authors have highlighted the decline in fertility in many sub-Saharan Africa countries in recent decades. There is a consensus that the decline starts in urban areas and spreads to rural areas. Fertility in Mozambique has dropped in recent decades, from 6.4 (1980) to 6.0 (1997) and 5.7 (2007). The present study intends to contribute to understanding more about fertility trajectory in Mozambique. The objective is to analyze the fertility trajectory in Mozambique between 1987 and 2007, highlighting fertility differentials by area of residence and educational level. Data come from the 1997 and 2007 Demographic Censuses (IPUMS-International). Preliminary results show that fertility decline is more pronounced in metropolitan Maputo and the rest of the urban areas. In rural areas, there are no clear signs of fertility decline. Metropolitan Maputo, which includes the country’s capital, is at the forefront of fertility decline. The region is marked by higher socioeconomic, institutional development, low child and youth mortality, high education, greater access to family planning services, and economic opportunities. Education also plays an important role in the fertility decline in Mozambique.

Keywords: Fertility and childbirth, Census data

See extended abstract.

  Presented in Session P3.