Kidanu, AkIilu (PhD)Negewo, Tilaye2018-09-182023-11-182018-09-182023-11-181994-06http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/12345678/11986Population growth is a prominent issue in rural Ethiopia where about 85 percent of the population resides. Therefore, simply put, the determinants of the effects of the various factors on fertility rates in rural Ethiopia is a relevant policy oriented research. This paper looked at s~d proximate determinants and socioeconomic factors and their effects on fertility in a rural setting. The study collected information on 2063 women in Mafud and Kewet districts, and used various techniques including oneway analysis, multiple classification analysis and the Bongaarts model to look at the relative effects of the selected variables. The findings include that land-holding, literacy program, livestock value, marital disruptions, infant- child mortality and spontaneous miscarriages had positive effect on fertility. On the other hand, formal education, contraceptive use, breast-feeding and age at first marriage showed negative effects on fertility in the studied rural areas of Ethiopia. The results also indicated that among the rural areas studied, fertility levels varied by the rate of infant-child mortality, the levels of infecundity and contraceptive prevalence. In conclusion this study identified areas of policy concentration in relation to reducing fertility levels as well as areas of future research to better understand the dynamics of fertility behavior in rural Ethiopia.enFertility Rates of Rural WomenThesis