Original scientific paper

The early decline of fertility in Slavonia

E. A. Hammel ; Department of Anthropology, University od California, Berkeley, USA

Abstract

European countries today are characterized by fertility rates that are very low by historical standards. A century and a half ago in most Euro¬pean countries, and as recently as a half century ago in some, the aver¬age woman who married and lived in a married state until menopause could expect to bear about 7 children. Today in many European coun¬tries such a woman could expect to bear two, and of course many bear fewer than two. Until this astonishing change in fertility regimes, the major control over the total fertility of a population lay in the control of marriage and the sensitivity of the possibilities of marriage to social and economic conditions. Now, of course, the major control over fertility lies in contraception or abortion.

Keywords

Slavonia; 18th century; contemporaneity; fertility rate; demography

Hrčak ID:

75787

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/75787

Publication date:

2.6.1991.

Article data in other languages: croatian

Visits: 1.547 *