Fertility decline and economic development in Iran

Ali Ayaseh, Kermanshah Azad University
Sajede Vaezzade, Jahad-e Daneshgahi Kermanshah
Ali asghar Moghadas, Shiraz University
Akbar Aghajanian, Fayetteville State University

Economic development is reversely associated with fertility. That is decreasing mortality rate especially infant mortality, improving standards of living, improving sanitary water as the outcomes of the economic development process have negative impact on fertility. Iran has experienced dramatic reductions in its fertility rates in the past 25 years. This paper aims to indicate that to what degree the fertility reduction in Iran may be viewed as responses to economic development. Is it the result of voluntary reductions in family size induced by economic development or has been the result of the influential government intervention in family planning? Data shows that fertility decline in Iran accompanied to rising of GNP, urbanization, marriage age and proportion of students; while the infant mortality rate and proportion of married women decreased at the same time. The paper concludes that fertility transition in Iran has closely been related to economic development.