Open AccessInterrelationships of Some Fertility Measures in Pakistan
Author(s) -
Masihur Rahman Khan,
Lee L. Bean
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
pakistan development review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.154
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 0030-9729
DOI - 10.30541/v7i4pp.504-518
Subject(s) - fertility , dependency ratio , population , total fertility rate , demography , population growth , estimation , demographic transition , economics , demographic analysis , demographic economics , geography , family planning , research methodology , sociology , management
Unlike mortality or migration, the fertility behaviour of apopulation largely determines its age distribution1. A high fertilitypopulation maintains a broad-based age pyramid by adding continuously alarge number of persons at the first year of life. In such a populationthe dependency ratio of children (say persons under 15 years) remainshigh relative to the size of its working age population (say those aged15-64 years). A decline in fertility reduces this ratio and restructuresthe age distribution to make it more favourable to economic growth2 [4].For this reason the study of human fertility occupies a singularlyimportant position in the demographic literature today. In this paperthe fertility of the population of Pakistan is examined. The purpose ofthe paper is to evaluate several fertility measures obtained from datacollected through the Population Growth Estimation project in Pakistan3.The interrelationships of these measures in terms of their practicalutility to planners for action programmes will be examined. Further, thepossible impact on fertility resulting from a rise in the age atmarriage in Pakistan will be discussed. An effort will also be made toidentify the demographic differentials, relevant to planners, in the twoprovinces of the country