QUANTITY-QUALITY TRADE OFF IN FERTILITY: EVIDENCE FROM ODISHA, INDIA

The study is an attempt to focus on the decline in fertility in Odisha, one of the extremely undeveloped states of India. In spite of having widespread poverty, low level of industrialization and urbanization, agrarian economy the decline of fertility in Odisha, is quite impressive. Results based on the secondary data sources and also on a field investigation in one district of Odisha revealed that there is a clear change in the value of children due to increasing aspirations of the parents and the rise in the cost of living. There is a conscious emphasis on enhancing the quality of life across social and occupational class. This has lead to the classical quantity-quality trade off and lower family size desires. Economic benefits from children have declined. Though son as the source of old age support and care still persists; looking at the changing society and increased preference for nuclear family, majority are not sure that the son/s would actually support them in old age. Overall the cost of children has increased in relation to benefits. To meet the increased cost the strategy is to adopt a small family. For this adoption, means were provided by government sponsored family planning programme.