Reference using Indian district data:
Dreze, Jean and Mamta Murthi.
2001. "Fertility, education, and development: Evidence from India"
Population and Development Review 27(March): 33-64.
Fertility has declined significantly in many parts of India since the early
1980s. This article examines the determinants of fertility levels and fertility
decline, using data on Indian districts for 1981 and 1991. The authors find that
women's education and child mortality are the most important factors explaining
fertility differences across the country and over time. Low levels of son
preference also contribute to lower fertility. By contrast, general indicators
of modernization and development such as urbanization, poverty reduction, and
male literacy exhibit no significant association with fertility. En passant, the
authors probe a subject of much confusion-the relation between fertility decline
and gender bias.
| Last updated April
23, 2001 |
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