South Asian Countries : Economic Growth and Fertility

Ghosh, Sudeshna (2017): South Asian Countries : Economic Growth and Fertility.

Abstract

Analysis of data sets on contraceptive use is important to assess the effectiveness of policy decisions towards meeting the Millennium Development Goal that endeavours to ensure universal access to contraceptive use. The paper therefore attempts to estimate the trends in the contraceptive use and unmet need in India and her major neighbouring countries during the recent past based on the data base provided by the United Nations, Department of Economic, and Social Affairs, Population Division (2017). The study estimated the trends in the percentage of women who want to avoid pregnancy, by using modern contraceptives or used traditional methods or no methods. The paper concludes that for healthy upbringing of children birth spacing is important for women and the family. To meet the unmet need for use of modern contraceptives, the south Asian countries need to improve availability of resources for timely delivery of contraceptive services. The paper finally develops a statistical model to explore the causal relation between economic growth, fertility behaviour and contraceptive use in these set of countries. A long run relation is found to exist among the concerned variables in all the countries except Pakistan. Such, findings call for systematic intervention in terms of policy prescription.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: India, neighbouring countries, contraceptive use, fertility, United Nations, ARDL method.
• Subjects: C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C1 - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics > J11 - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts; Z - Other Special Topics > Z0 - General

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