Reproductive Performance and Reproductive Capacity in Less Industrialized Societies

Abstract

The high-fertility regions of the world include Asia (without the Soviet Union), the Far East, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Together these regions support about 70 per cent of the world's population. Crude birth rates as high as 60 have been reported for some populations, while at the other end of the scale there are countries with rates in the 30's. Mainland China, India, and Pakistan all have very high birth rates. There is some variation in Africa, with very high rates being recorded for the northern and western regions. Variations are also evident in Latin America and the Caribbean. There is evidence of declines in a few of the regions being con sidered. In fact, in the case of Latin America, two of the coun tries—Argentina and Uruguay—are entering a phase of low fertility. Differentials of a wide variety are encountered in these populations, but the patterns vary, and they do not always take the form associated with European populations. Many sociocultural elements, such as marriage, customs, religion, and general value systems, have been identified as significant in sustaining high fertility, and attempts have been made to reduce this association to statistical form. Another line of investiga tion of high fertility aims at a resolution of the levels into mathematical and statistical components.