INDICATORS

Table 3. A Documentation Sheet for an indicator that has only one definition and method of
calculation: Total fertility rate (ECHI shortlist indicator #4).
ECHIM
Indicator name
Definition of
indicator
Calculation of
the indicator
(numerator,
denominator)
Additional
underlying
concepts
Relevant
dimensions
(subgroups)
(preferred) data
source(s)
Rationale
Data
availability,
quality,
periodicity
References
Work to do
A) Demographic and socio-economic factors
4. Total fertility rate
Total Fertility Rate is defined as the mean number of children per woman
at the end of childbearing age, based on one calendar year data.
Eurostat, WHO, OECD: The mean number of children that would be
born alive to a woman during her lifetime if she were to pass through her
childbearing years (conventionally 15–44, sometimes 15–49) conforming
to the fertility rates by age of a given year. It is therefore the completed
fertility of a hypothetical generation, computed by adding the fertility
rates by age for women in a given year (the number of women at each age
is assumed to be the same).
Total fertility rate (TFR) calculated as a period indicator (e.g. assuming
that age-specific fertility levels remain constant in the future), not by
birth cohorts. Completed fertility rate by birth cohort (CFR) refers to the
average number of children at the end of reproductive period. TFR and
CFR differ significantly if the timing of childbearing differs by time or by
country.
Country (also region), calendar year
Eurostat, WHO, (OECD: Data from Eurostat); regularly updated based
on national data / vital statistics.
Basic demographic data. Total fertility rate is also used to indicate the
replacement level fertility. In more developed countries, a rate of close to
2.1 can be considered to be replacement level.
Basic demographic data, available for all MSs.
WHO HfA: www.euro.who.int/hfadb
OECD Health Data: www.oecd.org
Eurostat (Methodology for the calculation of Eurostat’s
demographic indicators): epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_
pageid=1073,46587259&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&p_product_
code=KS-RA-07-006
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