Ethiopia has seen a massive cut in its fertility rate, from an average of seven children per woman in the 1990s to 4.6 currently. But how has it managed this?
Experts say the country has made this turnaround because of a combination of factors.
“Women stay longer in school, the standard of living is increasing so people don’t want to have too many children and more importantly, family planning is becoming more popular,” explains Faustin Yao, the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) representative to Ethiopia.
The country’s economy is among the fastest growing in the world, and as the quality of life improves, people tend to have fewer children.
Muluwork Tesfaye, a nurse in Addis Ababa, says she could not afford to support a large family in the capital.
The mother of two grew up in a family of eight and her parents struggled to provide for them.
“My husband is the one who took me to college,” she says. “I wanted a better life for my children.”
In the capital, Addis Ababa, the fertility rate is estimated to be 1.7 – lower than the rate needed to keep the population steady.
More educated women and a higher cost of living often mean fertility rates are lower in urban areas.
Source: http://afkinsider.com/
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