Differential fertility in the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Abstract

1960 population data on reproduction by educational status of married women their duration of marriage and the occupation of their present husband were used to investigate the question of whether and to what extent fertility differentials in the Arab Republic of Egypt are genuine or spurious and if genuine through what mechanism they operate. Although occupational fertility differentials were observed the observed patterns of occupational fertility reverses the pattern observed in most other studies where the fertility of women married to white-collar workers are reported to be lower than those married to workers in other occupations. Such an inverted pattern is due to part to defective data. From the data on childlessness by husbands occupation and cohort analysis by duration of marriage occupation of husband appeared as insignificant factor in generating childlessness differentials. Education of wife emerged as an effective factor in establishing fertility and childlessness differentials. The 1960 census of population greatly underreported the number of children born to families in rural residence and to families married before 1910. High childlessness among farmers service workers and illiterates is believed to be related to the tendency among females in these groups to marry in very young prechildbearing years.