Abstract
Studies investigating fertility decline in developing countries often adopt measures of determinants of fertility behavior developed based on observations from developed countries, without adapting them to the realities of the study setting. As a result, their findings are usually invalid, anomalous or statistically non-significant. This commentary draws on the research article by Moeeni and colleagues, as an exemplary work which has not adapted measures of two key economic determinants of fertility behavior, namely gender inequality and opportunity costs of childbearing, to the realities of Iran's economy. Measurement adaptations that can improve the study are discussed.
Highlights
Low fertility and shift in population policy in Iran Fertility levels have fallen drastically to below replacement level in most Western industrialized countries
The fertility rate has remained low in Iran
The current national total fertility rate is estimated at 1.6 children per woman, based on 2011 household census data [3]
Summary
Low fertility and shift in population policy in Iran Fertility levels have fallen drastically to below replacement level (below two children per woman required to maintain the population) in most Western industrialized countries. Reviewing demographic and socio-economic trends, they attribute the rapid decline in fertility after the 1979 Revolution in Iran to mainly structural and aggregate factors, such as the war-induced economic hardships, declining maternal and child mortality, family planning program and population policy, improvement in women’s literacy rate and other life standards, and the support of religious leaders.
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