Socio-economic Development and Fertility Change in Uttar Pradesh

Using data from National Family Health Survey, NFHS-1(1992-93) and NFHS-3(2005-06), this paper examines linkages of socio-economic development and fertility change in Uttar Pradesh. The change in proximate determinants are measured among social and economic groups while fertility change is measured with respect to total fertility rate(TFR). Results indicate that level of fertility has declined among all social and economic groups, however decline is more among women from urban areas, belonging to rich household and those with high education. Among proximate determinants, reductions in fertility are less reflected with increase in age at marriage and Post-partum Amenorrhea but more by increase in contraception. It highlight that women belonging to low socio-economic groups are increasingly adopting contraception and contributing to fertility transition despite their social and economic backwardness. It was established that there were wide variations in the degree of influence of the socio-economic factors that operate through proximate determinants in influencing fertility. The most influencing variables are education, religion and residence. It is recommended that promotion of contraceptive use, female education and general reproductive and child health care utilization are important if fertility in Uttar Pradesh is to decrease.