To study the biological and behavioral process of the drastic fertility decline of recent China, we reviewed relating factors (the proximate determinants) and applied the Bongaarts model to the population of China for the year of 1971 and 1981, during which the fertility rate dropped most rapidly and substantial population control policies were performed. By the application of the model, the decrease in TFR of 2.78 between 1971 and 1981 was estimated to be contributed by wide spread of contraception (68%), later marriage (49%), and increase of induced abortion (28%), though shortening of the length of postpartum breast?feeding showed negative effect (-32%), on the assumption that local data could be substituted for some national data. Compared with other countries, China was characterized by coexistence of strong fertility-inhibiting effects of non-marriage, contraception, induced abortion and relatively strong fertility-inhibiting effect of breast-feeding. It strongly suggested that the fertility transition in China was realized by powerful population policies in the context of insufficient socio-economic development to lead to the transition.
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