Fertility transition in Asia: Past experiences and future directions

During the second half of the twentieth century, many countries and areas in the region witnessed remarkable declines in fertility. For the region as a whole, the total fertility rate (TFR) dropped from 5.6 births per woman during the period 1950-1955 to 4.0 in 1975-1980. Fertility continued to fall to 3.3 during the period 1985-1990 and 2.6 in 1995-2000. The TFR of the region is currently estimated at 2.4 births per woman (United Nations, 2003). However, this regional average masks a considerable difference in the TFR observed among subregions. The TFR has plummeted to below the replacement level in East and North-East Asia (1.8 births per woman) and North and Central Asia (1.5 births per woman). In sharp contrast, South and South-West Asia exhibit a TFR of 3.2 births per woman. The South-East Asian subregion has a TFR of 2.5 births per woman (ESCAP, 2003).