Illustrative analysis : socio-economic differentials in cumulative fertility in Sri Lanka - a marriage cohort approach

Hence, a cohort analysis of fertility differentials (FD"s) was performed using data from the 1975 Sri Lanka World Fertility Study. Women respondents were divided into three cohorts defined by the number of years married -- 20 or more years, 10-19 years, and less than 10 years. Each group"s fertility rates were differentiated according to ethnic group (four major ones exist), zone of residence (six were delineated), category of residence (rural, urban, or tea/rubber plantations), education, religion, and husband"s occupation. The study"s main conclusions are: (1) Marital fertility decreases as age at the time of marriage increases. Further, many of the socioeconomic differentials can partially be traced to variations in the distribution of age at marriage. (2) Not until the second decade of marriage do considerable FD"s emerge. The pattern of FD"s by region, ethnic group, and work status is markedly different for those married 20 or more years and those. In contrast, the pattern of FD"s by respondent"s education, husband"s occupation, and standard of living is broadly similar for both groups. (3) FD"s between zones are largely due to differences in racial composition, urbanity, and socioeconomic factors. (4) Important FD"s among ethnic groups are also evident in the second decade of marriage due mainly to culturally induced increases of age at marriage. (5) Urban/rural FD"s are small, although urban rates are generally lower. (6) The effects of standard of living, husband"s occupation, and education on FD"s are positive but greatly attenuated after controls for age at marriage are applied. (7) Women who work before and after marriage (except those working and living on plantations) have a high socioeconomic status and age at marriage, which account for their low fertility. However, women who work after marriage but not before, achieve low fertility despite their low socioeconomic status and age at marriage. Statistical data are appended.