Moroccan Fertility Falls as Young Women Delay Marriage, Childbearing

Abstract

This paper presents salient findings from the 1992 Moroccan Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) conducted among 9256 women aged 15-49 and 1336 men aged 20-70 and compares them with data gathered in the first round of the DHS survey conducted in 1987. Overall fertility levels in Morocco continue to decline as increasing numbers of women practice contraception. The oral contraceptive pill is the most commonly used method. Among Moroccan husbands who know of a contraceptive method 93% approve of family planning and 43% say they want no more children. The rate of total fertility between 1987-92 fell accordingly from 4.8 to 4.0 live births per woman. The median age at first marriage among all women aged 25-49 increased from 18.5 years in 1987 to 19.7 years in 1992 although less than 1% of women by the age 45-49 have never married in Morocco. Although 99% of all currently married women knew of at least one method of contraception at the time of the survey only 42% were practicing contraception. This proportion is however higher than the 36% of currently married women who used contraception in 1987. Women aged 35-39 were most likely to contracept while those aged 15-19 were the least likely. Higher education including completing secondary school education and urban residence were associated with later marriage age delayed first birth and contraceptive use. In 1992 currently married women wanted an average of 3.9 children more than the 3.7 average in 1987. 49% of currently married women and 43% of married men wanted no more children 19% of married women had an unmet need for family planning and 69% of the total demand for family planning services was being met. As for maternal and child health care mothers of 67% of the children born in the five years before the survey had received no prenatal care. Under-five mortality rates in rural and urban areas were 98/1000 and 59/1000 respectively while 332 maternal deaths per 100000 births were reported during the seven years preceding the survey.