Factors Affecting Fertility

Let's start with a case study about the fertility rate in The Gambia.

The two aspects of factors behind the high fertility rate of 5.78/per woman (2012) in The Gambia are cultural and economic. Gambia has a small population of 1.85 million (2013) and 95% of its population's belief is Islam, in which contraception is strongly opposed

. Moreover, males are considered more prominent in terms of the amount of workload. Not only Muslim but Roman Catholic religions reject contraceptives as well. The development of education plays a big role in population structure of a nation. Fertility is greatly influenced by the level of female literacy and knowledge of birth control and social awareness in which women are educated. The further the parents are educated, the more aware they can be of the importance of quality of life of the next generation. When financial limitation is considered, the anticipated amount of children can be decreased.

On an economic perspective, children are seen as an economic asset in the agricultural society of The Gambia, with the fact that 1 in 3 children aged 10-14 are working. High fertility rate leads to two different economic consequence depending on the GDP of the nation. In about 1,5 decades the group of infants becomes a substantial economically active age group. If a country can provide sufficient job opportunities, then its economic growth will be apparent based on the considerable amount of taxes derived. However, if far from enough of job opportunities are provided, high underemployment and low income would only worsen the economy and quality of life in the country.

Fertility can as well be greatly influenced by the policy of a nation, which is not optional but mandatory for citizens. The graph shows the data from UN of China's natural increase under the 40-year controversial One Child Policy, which ended on the first day of 2016. The outcome is apparent where rate of natural increase (CBR-CDR) has decreased from circa. 18.0 to 5.5. Opposite from the One Child Policy, inducements for large families were offered by governments in Italy, Germany and Japan in the 1930s (pre-WW2)

Above factors affect fertility rate indirectly from social aspects. There are essential factors that effect each individual's fertility, such as the ability to have intercourse, to conceive and to carry a pregnancy to its final stage, frequency of intercourse, age at first intercourse and use of contraceptives.