Further evidence of the onset of fertility decline in Nepal

Until recently, it was believed that fertility in Nepal has persisted at a very high level with a total fertility rate (TFR) of around six children per woman. In a recent article, Tuladhar (1989, pp. 15-30), using the birth history data from the 1986 Fertility and Family Planning Survey, obtained a TFR of 5.61 children per woman for the period 1980-1985. This rate was obtained without any adjustment to the raw data. He cautiously concluded that Nepal may be on the verge of the onset of fertility decline. Except for this publication, the author knows of no other studies so far which address the issue of fertility decline in Nepal. Therefore, the aim of this note is to use village-level data to contribute to the on-going debate about the onset of fertility decline in Nepal in general and the study population in particular.