What factors support the early age patterns of fertility in a developing country: the case of Kyrgyzstan

We analyse the socio-economic and cultural factors that influence the timing of the first birth in Kyrgyzstan. As in several other developing countries in Central Asia, no trend towards the postponement of fertility has been observed in Kyrgyzstan. This contrasts not only with the current trend towards later parenthood that has been documented in highly developed countries, but with an incipient trend towards a delay in the timing of the first birth that has been reported in many developing countries. Our study is based on the Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey – 2014 (MICS2014), with complementary data drawn from the Demography and Health Survey – 2012 (DHS2012). Our analysis of the first union and of the first birth in a union for cohorts of women born between 1965 and 1998 showed that the rates of union formation and motherhood have increased among the younger cohorts.We also found that a woman’s education, labour market experience, and the gender relations in her family influenced her likelihood of transitioning to a first union and to motherhood. In addition, we uncovered significant differences in the timing of motherhood and union formation between women of different ethnicities, and looked at the factors that may have contributed to these differences. The factors that support a stable age pattern of fertility in Kyrgyzstan are of interest when conducting broader comparative research on fertility timing in developing countries, as these factors may help explain the current diversity in these patterns.