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Distal Determinants of Fertility decline: Evidence from 640 Indian Districts

Author

Listed:
  • S.K. Mohanty

    (International Institute for Population Sciences)

  • Guenther Fink

    (Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health)

  • Rajesh K. Chauhan

    (Population Research Centre)

  • David Canning

    (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Global Health and Population)

Abstract

Using data from national census and large-scale population surveys over the last two decades (1991-2011), this paper examines the role of female education, under-five mortality and poverty as the distal determinants of fertility across 640 districts of India. Our results suggest a remarkable degree of convergence across all distal determinants, but only limited evidence of convergence for fertility. Both the level and changes of female literacy were strongly associated with fertility change, and the same was true, even though to a lesser extent, for under-5 mortality. Our results suggest that changes in mortality and female education can explain majority of the large fertility declines observed over the sample period, while the contribution of improved socioeconomic status to fertility declines appears to be very limited. JEL Codes:

Suggested Citation

  • S.K. Mohanty & Guenther Fink & Rajesh K. Chauhan & David Canning, 2016. "Distal Determinants of Fertility decline: Evidence from 640 Indian Districts," PGDA Working Papers 12415, Program on the Global Demography of Aging.
    • Handle: RePEc:gdm:wpaper:12415
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    File URL: https://cdn1.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1288/2015/06/PGDA_WP_124_Mohanty.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Kiran Agrahari & Sanjay K. Mohanty & Rajesh K. Chauhan, 2016. "Socio-Economic Differentials in Contraceptive Discontinuation in India," SAGE Open, , vol. 6(2), pages 21582440166, May.

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