Demographic and Health Survey 2009-10 - Timor-Leste Ministry of ...

Table 7.4 shows that the mean ideal family size
increases with the number of living children among both
women and men, rising from 4 children among respondents
with no children to just over 7 children among respondents
with six or more children, indicating the positive association
between actual and ideal number of children. This positive
association between actual and ideal number of children
could be due to two factors. First, to the extent that women
are able to implement their fertility desires, women who want
larger families will tend to achieve larger families. Second,
some women may have difficulty admitting their desire for
fewer children if they could begin childbearing again and
may in fact report their actual number as their preferred
number.
Table 7.5 shows the mean ideal number of children
for all women age 15-49 by background characteristics. The
mean ideal number of children increases with age, ranging
from a low of 3.9 children among women age 15-19 to a high
of 6.1 children among women age 45-49. In the 2003 DHS
the corresponding figures were 4.8 children for women age
15-19 and 5.8 for women age 45-49. This preference for
fewer children in the youngest cohort may foretell an
emerging shift in ideal family size preferences.
The mean ideal number of children is higher in rural
than in urban areas. The mean ideal number of children is
lowest among women in Dili (4.3) and highest among women
Ainaro (6.5).
The mean ideal number of children varies inversely
with education, with a nearly two-child difference between
women with no education (5.8) and women with more than
secondary education (3.9). The mean ideal number of
children varies inversely with wealth, from 5.4 among
women in the lowest quintile to 4.3 among women in the
highest wealth quintile.
7.5 FERTILITY PLANNING
Table 7.5 Mean ideal number of children
Mean ideal number of children for all women
age 15-49 by background characteristics,
Timor-Leste 2009-10
Background
characteristic Mean
Number
of
women 1
Age
15-19 3.9 2,988
20-24 4.4 2,271
25-29 5.0 1,846
30-34 5.5 1,486
35-39 5.9 1,616
40-44 6.0 1,334
45-49
Residence
6.1 1,080
Urban 4.4 3,204
Rural
District
5.2 9,417
Aileu 5.3 543
Ainaro 6.5 552
Baucau 4.8 1,391
Bobonaro 5.2 1,247
Covalima 4.6 739
Dili 4.3 2,322
Ermera 5.8 1,534
Lautem 5.6 806
Liquiçá 4.8 755
Manatuto 4.5 586
Manufahi 4.9 450
Oecussi 4.5 855
Viqueque
Education
5.4 843
No education 5.8 3,726
Primary 5.2 2,891
Secondary 4.4 5,575
More than secondary
Wealth quintile
3.9 429
Lowest 5.4 2,232
Second 5.3 2,397
Middle 5.2 2,504
Fourth 5.0 2,578
Highest 4.3 2,910
Total 5.0 12,622
1 Number of women who gave a numeric
response
Information collected from the TLDHS can also be used to estimate the level of unwanted
fertility. Moreover, this information provides some insight into the degree to which couples are able to
control fertility. Women age 15-49 were asked a series of questions about each child born to them in
the preceding five years, as well as any current pregnancy, to determine whether the birth or
pregnancy was wanted then, wanted later (mistimed), or not wanted at all (unwanted) at the time of
conception. In assessing these results, it is important to recognize that women may declare a
previously unwanted birth or current pregnancy as wanted, and this rationalization may in fact result
in an underestimate of the true extent of unwanted births.
Table 7.6 shows the percent distribution of births (including current pregnancy) in the five
years preceding the survey by planning status of the birth, and according to birth order and age of
mother at birth. According to the data, 86 percent of births in the five years preceding the survey were
wanted then, 12 percent were mistimed, and 2 percent were unwanted. In general, the proportion of
unwanted births increases with birth order. Four percent of births of order four and higher and one
percent of births of order three are unwanted. Mistimed births are most common at parity level two.
Data from the 2003 DHS show that there has been little change in the planning status of children, with
86 percent of births in the five years preceding the survey planned and 11 percent mistimed.
Unwanted births declined from 4 percent in 2003 to 2 percent in 2009-10.
Fertility Preferences | 97