Family planning and fertility in Bangladesh

Abstract

This study examines the trends in contraceptive use and fertility levels in Bangladesh using national-level data from 1975-97. It also considers the major factors affecting contraceptive use and fertility. Data from the 1993/94 and 1996/97 Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey were also used for the multivariate analysis of the determinants of contraceptive use and fertility. It was found that between 1975 and 1996/97 the use of family planning methods increased 5-fold, rising from 13.6% to 69.2%. Also, contraceptive prevalence rate increased by over 6 times during the same period, rising from 7.7% to 49.2%. The sharp increase in contraceptive prevalence led to an appreciable decline in fertility, with total fertility rate dropping from 6.3 during the period 1971-75 to 3.3 during the period 1994-96. Except for the 15-19 year age group, fertility declined substantially in all other age groups, especially among women aged 35 years and older. Results of the analysis indicate that six factors account for the reproductive change in Bangladesh. These include interspousal communication on family planning, desire for children, women's education and employment status, access to mass media, and program efforts. The policy and programmatic implications of the findings are discussed.