Population Reports' Q&As

New Survey Findings: The Reproductive Revolution Continues

Fertility Continues to Decline

How do fertility rates differ between urban and rural areas?

Along with women's education, the most consistent fertility differences between groups reflect where women live-whether in urban or rural areas. In all countries surveyed since 1990, the total fertility rate is lower in urban than in rural areas. Urban residents tend to want smaller families and also to have better access to contraception. As fertility declines spread throughout a country, however, urban-rural differences in fertility differences in fertility decrease, reflecting diffusion of the small-family norm and more widespread availability of family planning information and services.

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