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Fertility and the changing pattern of the timing of childbearing in Colombia

Author

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  • Ewa Batyra

    (Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics (CED))

Abstract

Background: According to the latest 2010 CDHS, Colombia’s total fertility rate (TFR) reached the level of 2.1. Studies show that the long-observed early childbearing pattern there might be changing, in particular for highly educated women, yet detailed analysis of timing of motherhood by birth order is lacking. In low fertility contexts, changes in the timing of childbearing are vital for interpreting period fertility measures and anticipating future trajectories. Objective: To study the fertility trend in Colombia since 1990 and examine how the timing of childbearing changed by birth order and across cohorts. The relationship between education and timing of motherhood is analysed in depth across cohorts. Methods: To analyse the trend in fertility and timing of childbearing, order-specific mean age at birth and tempo-adjusted TFR are calculated using CDHS. Discrete-time logit models are fitted to study the transition to first and second births across cohorts and educational groups. Results: Opposing trends in the timing of first and second births are found, with early transition to motherhood existing alongside postponement of second births. This process and the documented halt to the decrease in the age at first birth contribute to the end of the inflating effect of childbearing timing changes on TFR. Multivariate analysis reveals that norms relating to later transition to motherhood are emerging not only among women with university education but also among women with lower educational levels. Postponement of second births is observed in all educational strata. Conclusions: With continuation of the documented trends, a depressing effect of the changes in the timing of childbearing on TFR could be expected in Colombia, possibly bringing it to below replacement level.

Suggested Citation

  • Ewa Batyra, 2016. "Fertility and the changing pattern of the timing of childbearing in Colombia," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 35(46), pages 1343-1372.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:35:y:2016:i:46
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2016.35.46
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Juliana Jaramillo-Echeverri, 2023. "La transición de la fecundidad en Colombia: nueva evidencia regional," Cuadernos de Historia Económica 60, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    3. Juliana Jaramillo-Echeverri, 2024. "Understanding the relationship between women’s education and fertility decline: Evidence from Colombia," Cuadernos de Historia Económica 63, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    4. Andrés Felipe Castro Torres & B. Piedad Urdinola, 2019. "Armed Conflict and Fertility in Colombia, 2000–2010," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 38(2), pages 173-213, April.
    5. Ewa Batyra, 2020. "Increasing Educational Disparities in the Timing of Motherhood in the Andean Region: A Cohort Perspective," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 39(2), pages 283-309, April.
    6. Jianlin Niu & Yaqiang Qi, 2020. "The educational differential in fertility in transitional China: Temporal and regional variation," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 42(22), pages 657-688.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Colombia; fertility; birth order; education;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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