Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-xtgtn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-16T13:07:21.780Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The decline in fertility in England and Wales since 1964

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

G. N. Pollard
G. N. Pollard
Affiliation:
School of Economic and Financial Studies, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The decline in the number of legitimate live births in England and Wales from the peak in 1964 has been partitioned into components due to changes in fertility rates, components due to changes in the composition of the population exposed to risk, and an interaction component. Fertility rates specific for age of mother at birth of child, duration of marriage, parity and age of mother at marriage were considered but in all cases it was found that the decline was not as great as the change in fertility rates implied. This was due to increases in the number of births due to changes in the composition of the population exposed to risk.

The decline in the number of births due to changes in fertility rates specific for age of mother/duration of marriage/parity/age at marriage has been expressed as a percentage of the number of births to each specific group and it was found that generally the percentage decline became greater as age of mother/duration of marriage/parity/age at marriage increased. However this did not apply for the youngest age groups, the shortest durations of marriage, the youngest ages at marriage and the lowest parity. This result needs further investigation. Is this evidence of a deferment of births by young mothers (with short durations, low parities and young ages at marriage)? Alternatively, is this evidence of the beginning of a really significant and widespread change of attitude to family size?

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , April 1977 , pp. 227 - 237
Copyright
Copyright © 1977, Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Farid, S.M. (1974) Components of period fertility in England and Wales. J. biosoc. Sci. 6, 59.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Keyfitz, N. (1968) Changing vital rates and age composition. Popul. Stud. 22, 235.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kitagawa, E. (1955) Components of a difference between two rates. J. Am. statist. Ass. 50, 1168.Google Scholar
Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (1971) Population Projections 1970–2010 (and revised versions in subsequent years). HM Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar
Pollard, A.H. (1974) A component analysis of Australian fertility. Trans. Inst. Actuaries Aust. N.Z. 25, 387.Google Scholar
Pollard, A.H. & Pollard, G.N. (1966) Fertility in Australia. Trans. Inst. Actuaries Aust. N.Z. 17, 19.Google Scholar
Registrar General (1964–1971) Statistical Review of England and Wales. Part II. Population. HM Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar