A Study of Influential Socio-Economic Factors Fertility in Bahirdar Town
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Date
1995
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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Abstract
Ethiopia is one of the developing countries that experiences
a rapid population increase. Based on the 1984 census data the
growth rate of the population of Ethiopia was estimated to be
2.9 percent. A population growth rate above 2 percent would
pose a problem for the country's development. Therefore, it is
of prime importance to study the factors which influence
fertility so as to achieve a reduction in growth rate of
population.
In this paper an attempt has been made to assess the influence
of some socio-economic factors on fertility taking a typical
growing town, Bahir Dar. The method of regression was used to
examine the influence of some selected factors on fertility.
Among the factors considered in the study women 's employment
was inversely related to fertility, though this relations hip
was found to be not signifi£:a'nt" in 'the younger and .olderage
groups. The educational Level of wife and husbard
appeared to have an inverse relatior,sb.i.p !nth ferli ;.ity only
in certain age groups. It seeme.1 chell inco'm'e 'had '" r')sitiv~
effect on fertility. There was no siginificant djffrnce in
fertility between muslims and Christians, and between the
Amharas and other ethnic groups taken together.
The demographic feature for Bahir Dar, hopefully, can be
representative of other towns in the country, and hence may be
used to indicate what types of measures have to be taken in
order to challenge the problem of population g r owth,
especially in townships.