Age-specific Fertility and Sociodemographic Variations on Fertility Outcomes in Namibia

Abstract

The Namibian fertility rate has declined over the years from average children of 6.1 (1991) to 3.7(2023). As size of the population is an important social, political and economic aspect to determine a country’s future, there is a need for an in-depth analysis to understand contributing factors to the population growth of the country. While doing so, the age group and social categories of women that may be experiencing an incline and decline in fertility among women, especially when it comes to developing (age-sex fertility) policies and interventions to further address issues related to reproductive health, family planning and maternal health. Using the 2013 NDHS data this study examined the pattern of the Age-Specific Fertility Rates (ASFRs) as well as the effect of sociodemographic characteristics on the total number of births in Namibia. Results showed that the age group 25-34 had the highest ASFR. Also, the total number of births in Namibia were significantly associated with the women’s sociodemographic characteristics such as regions (p<0.001), place of residence (p<0.001), religion (p=0.001), educational level (p<0.001), wealth index (p<0.001), marital status (p<0.001) and employment status (p<0.001), with notable variations in fertility rates across women in urban and rural locations as well as between regions.