The demographic dimensions of fertility in Finland 1984

Abstract

Both demographic and nondemographic criteria and background variables are perceived and registered about the event of a human birth. In demographic analysis the mothers age usually is regarded as the basic underlying covariate of human fertility. Other variables include marital duration length of birth interval birth order and socioeconomic factors. Time is the dependent variable in all demographic processes over the life cycle of an individual. This study about the events of births focused on 3 separate times in parents lives in the selected year 1984. The times considered relevant for fertility were age duration of marriage in case of marital fertility and time since the last birth in cases of parity 1 and above. Additionally quantitative estimates of their relative impact on fertility were given. The results were presented according to a period mode of temporal aggregation. In general for almost every age up to age 35 fertility was highest shortly after marriage. Additionally women who married at a very young age had very high fertility levels. For men fertility was also concentrated in prime childbearing years although the age span of reproduction was longer for men than for women. For women the peak fertility rates were for birth intervals (time since last birth) between 2-4 years and within the age span of 20-30 years. Marital duration had a definite impact on fertility. Fertility declined with age even at fixed marital durations.