Marriage and fertility dynamics in India

It is widely acknowledged that age at marriage has a significant influence on fertility, particularly in the countries where childbearing occurs within marriage. However, the complexities of marriage/fertility relationship are poorly understood, especially during fertility transitions. This paper investigates the complex relationship between marriage and fertility by examining age at marriage, marital fertility and birth interval dynamics in India, using data collected in nationally representative surveys in 1992/1993 and 2005/2006. The decline in fertility during this period could be attributed to changes in marital fertility rather than to changes in marriage age. Women marrying late tend to have shorter first birth interval than women marrying at a younger age. However, the second and higher birth intervals are longer among those marrying late.