Current Trends and Differentials in Fertility as Revealed by Official Data

Abstract

During 1947-1963 every one of the 20 independent countries of Latin America took at least one census. By 1960 vital statistics served as the basis for relatively accurate estimates of fertility and mortality in the region. The patterns of recent trends and differentials are summarized that can be inferred from the official statistics of these 20 countries in relation to three periods: 1900-1929 1930-1959 and 1960-1964. Only Argentina Uruguay and Cuba had made permanent transitions to birth rates of 30-1000 lower rather rapidly by about 1935. Panama and Chile were the only other countries that had birth rates below 40-1000 for any extended period of time. Since 1930 there had been a prevailing upward trend of fertility among the remaining countries. Fluctuations of birth rats in Latin America had occurred in response to changes in economic and social conditions with a positive relation between economic conditions and the birth rate. All three countries that had made fertility transitions had extremely high rates of immigration from southern Europe after 1870 conveying the culture and behavior of modern Europe including the practice of birth control. In these 17 other countries fertility control will be by a different process from the one that operated in Argentina Uruguay and Cuba. In Mexico during 1921-1960 as the percentage of the male labor force in nonagricultural occupations rose from 24 to 41 the standardized birth rate increased from 41/1000 to 49/1000. In Venezuela the percentage of the male labor force in occupations other than agriculture increased from 52% to 62% between 1950 and 1960 but the standardized birth rate went from 45/1000 to 48/1000. Economic development did not produce fertility controls but actually had the opposite effect. Presumably increased publicity concerning family planning the programs introduced by international agencies and finally the clinical and educational programs within each country under the sponsorship of governments churches and private organizations will reduce birth rates in Latin America.