Economic development, social change and fertility decline in rural Punjab-An empirical study

Abstract

Punjab state in india has experienced over 40 percent decline in fertility in the last two decades and is undergoing demographic transition. The State is one of the economically developed States of India. It experienced rural transformation as a consequence of successful green revolution. It continues to be an agrarian economy with patriarchal kinship system. Status of women is low, gender inequalities are sharp, female literacy and female work force participation are low and son preference is strong. In the presence of these social realities the decline in fertility particularly in the rural Punjab needs to be explained and understood. Empirical evidence suggests that this decline has taken place because rural women desire and have lesser number of children, practice contraception and try to limit their families. The factors which have contributed to this attitudinal change are rising literacy, rising standards of living, greater exposure to mass media and greater use of modem contraceptive technology. Thus economic development and resultant social change have brought about fertility decline in rural Punjab.