Socio-economic status and fertlity: A study of selected ASEAN Countries

Abstract

This study analyses fertlity differentals and factors affectng childbearing in Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Although socio-economic development has resulted in the desire for smaller family size, the availability of family planning services has also played an important role in fertlity decline in the three countries under study. Of the three countries, Indonesia has the lowest fertlity due to its strong family planning program, while the relatively higher fertility in the Philippines can be atributed to strong oppositon of the Catholic Church against the use of modern contracepton. With fertility approaching replacement level, especially in Indonesia and Cambodia, the differentials in fertility across various sub-groups tend to be rather insignificant. Nevertheless, the number of children was inversely related with educational level and non-agricultural work among women in Cambodia and the Philippines. The poor in all three countries tended to have more children than those who were beter off. Of the proximate determinants of fertlity, contraceptve use and delayed marriage have by far the strongest fertlity-inhibitng effects. Greater efforts are needed to step up informaton, educaton and communicaton actvites and to ensure equal access to contraceptve informaton and services to allow couples to plan childbearing accordingly.