Effect of education on fertility in the republic of Congo

Abstract

The Republic of Congo is one of the least developed countries in the world. Until recently, there has been way to study fertility in the Republic of Congo because of the civil war. This study examines the extent to which education influences fertility in the Republic of Congo, during the early stages of demographic transition. Secondary data from the 2005 Congo Demographic and Health Survey was used. The sample size consisted of 7051 women aged 15-49. Several variables, which were categorized as demographic, socio-economic, and proximate variables, were introduced as control variables. Fertility decline is viewed as a result of the modernization process, as the latter alters the mechanisms of fertility choices from natural forces to deliberate decisions on the part of individuals or families. Fertility tends to increase, for example, with a small amount of education before falling off at the level of completed primary education. Analyses of the socioeconomic/ demographic and proximate determinants of fertility in the Republic of Congo indicates that a woman's education constitute the principal factors through which modernization affects fertility. The findings indicated that even after controlling for region and place of residence, occupation, age at first birth and marriage and employment status, an increase in a woman's education is positively associated with the number of children born, i.e., an increase in education decreases the number of children born.