Effets du calendrier reproductif sur les tendances de la fécondité et les rapports de genre

This paper discusses a relatively new but emerging demographic phenomenon in India – the single child families. According to many surveys, about ten percent of couples in India opt for single child. We examine the levels, trends and determinants of single child families, using data from three rounds of National Family Health Survey (NFHS) - Indian equivalent of DHS- undertaken in 1992-93, 1998-99 and 2005-06. This paper also aims to find out the relationship between women’s age at marriage and age at child birth with the number of children. Ever married women who were either sterilized or over 45 years of age are considered in this study. Bivariate and binary logistic analyses were undertaken. The proportion of single child families is more among urban, educated and professionally employed women. Place of residence, economic status, women’s age at the time of child birth, husband’s education and women’s occupation are the major determinants. In all three models, age at birth emerged as a determinant factor for single child families. Further analysis illustrate that many women make deliberate choice of having only one child in order to pursue their career prospects, by balancing between family responsibilities and job opportunities.