FACTORS AFFECTING BIRTH RATES (SOCIAL+CULTURAL)

A1 for geography

Added status in the community

Asean countries before the 21st century, wealthy tycoons have multiple children and wives that symbolizes wealth and verility

Replace children who have died

Sub-saharan african region, highest infant mortality rate, fertility rate also high.

Religious beliefs

Children seen as gift from god, philippines—> 86% catholics, birth rate us the highest in SEA

preference for sons

In india, only sons can light funeral pyres, and in asia, the son carries the family name.

lack of family planning due to poor levels of education

Ethiopia—>65% of woman over 30 years old never attended school, access to knowledge of family planning, thus resulting in many unintended pregnancies.

Other cultural beliefs

Phenomenon of birth rates being affected by different zodiac years (large chinese diasporas)

—> 2022, lowest SG birth rates (1.04), year of the tiger

—> Whereas in the year of the dragons, china’s birth rates spike due to superstitions

Early marriages and greater childbearing years

—> niger, where marriage rates and first childbearing of adolescent girls are more than double that of nigeria and Burkina faso, contributing to Niger’s TFR, which is the highest in the world