Changes in the ideal of childbearing and its causes in Iran between 2004 and 2015

Abstract

In societies with low fertility, where reproductive behavior is consciously controlled by individuals, childbearing tendencies and preferences are important in studying reproductive changes, and the ideal number of children is important as one of the indicators of future fertility changes. The aim of this study is to identify the ideals of childbearing in Iran and explain its fluctuations and differences in the country. This study has used the secondary analysis of the data of the National Survey of Iranian Cultural Developments in 2004 and the National Survey of Values and Attitudes in Iran, which was collected in 2015. The statistical population is people over 15 years old living in urban and rural areas of the provinces. Findings are limited to the variables in the data and have been used as much as possible to measure the ideals of fertility. The results show that in 1383 and 1394 the tendency to the ideal of two children was dominant and is equal to 62.3 and 48.1%, respectively, but during these years the tendency to the ideal of three children and more has increased and It has increased from 30.8% to 43.2%. The results of multivariate analysis of surveys in 1383 and 1394 show that by controlling other variables, education and religion have had the highest effect and difference in the ideal number of children during these years.

Keywords

• ideal number of children
• fertility preferences
• education
• religion
• socio-economic status