Jamaica has experienced a significant decline in its total fertility rate (TFR), dropping from 4.5 births per female in the period between 1973 and 1975 to 1.9 in 2021.
This decline has contributed to a decrease in the country’s population estimate.
These findings were revealed in the Reproductive Health Survey Jamaica (RHS) 2021, which was officially released to the public by the National Family Planning Board (NFPB) at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston.
According to Professor Affette McCaw-Binns, an expert in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Epidemiology who presented the findings, the age-specific fertility rates decreased in all age groups except for those aged 25-29 years. This trend likely indicates a delayed onset of childbearing until the late 20s, as women focus on completing their education.
The TFR represents the average number of children expected to be born to a woman over her lifetime. With a fertility rate of 1.9, Jamaica’s rate falls below the replacement level of 2.1, which is the average number of children needed to maintain a stable population, as explained by Professor McCaw-Binns.
She highlighted that the National Population Policy, developed in 1983, aimed to achieve replacement-level fertility by offering high-quality family planning services.
RHS survey
The RHS 2021 surveyed 3,224 females and 1,784 males aged 15-49 years, with data collected between August 2021 and April 2022. Forty-six percent of respondents resided in rural areas, 32 percent in urban centers outside the Kingston Metropolitan Region (KMR), and 22 percent within the KMR.
Of the participants, 61 percent were in a union (married, common-law, or visiting relationship), while 39 percent were not.
The survey was conducted by principal investigators from the NFPB and the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN), with objectives including assessing progress towards replacement-level fertility, informing sexual and reproductive health policies, and updating data on various health indicators.
The 2021 RHS marks the eighth household survey documenting access to and effectiveness of contraceptive services in Jamaica, with the first conducted in 1975 as part of the World Fertility Survey of Reproductive Age Women.
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