3.7 - Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

Question 1

What is Total Fertility Rate (TFR)?

Answer 1

• avg. number of children a woman in a population will bear throughout her lifetime
• Higher TFR = higher birth rate, higher pop. growth rate (generally)

Question 2

Replacement Fertility Level (RFL)

Answer 2

• the TFR required to offset deaths in a pop. and keep pop. size stable
• About 2.1 in developed countries (replace mom & dad)
• Higher in less developed countries due to higher infant mortality

Question 3

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)

Answer 3

• number of deaths of children under 1 year per 1,000 people in a pop.
• Higher in less developed countries due to lack of access to: health care, clean water, enough food
• Higher IMR = higher TFR, due to families having replacement children

Question 4

Factors that decrease IMR

Answer 4

• Access to clean water
• Access to healthcare (hospitals, vaccines, vitamins & -supplements for moms & babies)
• More reliable food supply

Question 5

Factors that affect TFR

Answer 5

Development (affluence)
- more developed, or wealthy nations have a lower TFR than less developed nations
- More educational access for women
- More econ. opportunity for women
- Higher access to family planning education & contraceptives
- Later age of first pregnancy
- Less need for children to provide income through agricultural labor

Government Policy
- can play a huge role in fertility by coercive (forceful) or noncoercive (encouraging) policies
- Forced or vol. sterilization
- China’s 1 (now 2) child policy
- Tax incentives to have fewer children
- Microcredits or loans to women without children to start businesses

Question 6

Affluence and TFR

Answer 6

• More access to contraceptives & family planning
• Ed./econ. opportunities require time, leaving less for raising children
• Lower IMR = lower TFR

Question 7

Female education and TFR

Answer 7

• More education = fewer unplanned pregnancies
• More education = more job. opportunities for women
• Alternative to marrying young