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

Table 4.2 Fertility by background characteristics
Total fertility rate for the three years preceding the survey, percentage of
women age 15-49 currently pregnant, and mean number of children ever
born to women age 40-49 years, by background characteristics, Timor-
Leste 2009-10
Background
characteristic
Total fertility
rate
Percentage
women age
15-49 currently
pregnant
Mean number
of children ever
born to women
age 40-49
Residence
Urban 4.9 7.1 5.5
Rural
District
6.0 6.7 5.9
Aileu 5.6 5.4 6.3
Ainaro 7.2 8.4 6.7
Baucau 5.5 6.1 5.0
Bobonaro 6.0 5.4 6.0
Covalima 4.4 5.8 5.5
Dili 4.6 6.9 5.4
Ermera 6.6 6.8 6.9
Lautem 6.7 8.6 6.5
Liquiçá 5.5 7.0 6.5
Manatuto 5.5 6.6 5.8
Manufahi 5.9 8.8 5.5
Oecussi 6.6 7.0 5.4
Viqueque
Education
5.6 7.7 5.3
No education 6.1 6.7 6.0
Primary 6.5 7.7 6.2
Secondary 5.2 6.4 5.2
More than secondary
Wealth quintile
2.9 8.3 3.1
Lowest 7.3 6.9 5.9
Second 6.0 7.8 6.0
Middle 6.1 7.0 5.9
Fourth 5.3 6.4 6.0
Highest 4.2 6.3 5.3
Total 5.7 6.8 5.8
Note: Total fertility rates are for the period 1-36 months prior to
interview.
Table 4.2 also presents a crude assessment of trends in the various subgroups by comparing
current fertility with a measure of completed fertility: the mean number of children ever born to
women age 40-49. The mean number of children ever born to older women who are nearing the end
of their reproductive period is an indicator of average completed fertility of women who began
childbearing three decades before the survey. If fertility remained constant over time, and the reported
data on both children ever born and births during the three years preceding the survey are reasonably
accurate, the TFR and the mean number of children ever born for women 40-49 are expected to be
similar. When fertility levels have been falling, the TFR will be substantially lower than the mean
number of children ever born among women age 40-49.
The comparison between the two measures suggests that overall fertility has remained
constant in the past few decades, because the TFR in the three years preceding the survey and the
mean number of children ever born to women 40-49 are similar (5.7 and 5.8, respectively). However,
it is interesting to note that there are marked differences between the two measures by background
characteristics. While there has been little difference in rural fertility, urban fertility has fallen by 0.6
births over the last few decades. This decline is not reflected in the overall fertility because the urban
population is much smaller than the rural population, and overall fertility is therefore more likely to
reflect fertility in rural areas. There has been a notable decline in fertility in the last few decades in
Aileu, Covalima, Dili, and Liquiçá and smaller declines in Ermera and Manatuto. On the other hand,
fertility has increased markedly in Ainaro, Baucau, and Oecussi, with smaller increases in Lautem,
Manufahi, and Viqueque. No changes were seen in Bobonaro. Increases in fertility were also observed
among women with little to no education and women in the lowest wealth quintile.
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