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Based on national data from civil birth registration systems, this paper provides an overview of trends in the twinning birth rates in fifteen developed countries. Patterns and differentials in such rates across populations are described, and trends over time are given. The evolution of the twinning rate in industrialized countries over the last century follows broadly the same pattern. One exception is the period around World War I, with a peak in the twinning rate being observed during the war, or just after it, although this was not registered in all countries. Since the mid-1970s twinning rates have increased in many developed countries in response to a growing use of fertility-stimulating treatments such as in vitro fertilization.

The whole region of the South and East Mediterranean exhibits a profound fertility transition with marked differences in the pace of fertility declines among the countries. The authors choose three representative countries: Egypt, Morocco and Turkey. Determinants of the propensity towards smaller family size are investigated as scrutinizing the development in the pattern of third births, which represents the critical step in the transitional process for these countries. The authors are particularly interested in verifying whether the decline of higher-order births is significantly driven by an overall societal change over time or by compositional change over different socio-economic segments of the female population. Evidence is found that overall societal changes have mainly driven the decline in large family size, though, to a much lesser extent, compositional changes are important too.

Egypt is the only country of the Arab world which is located between two continents (Africa & Asia). Its geographical position & its demographic size as well lead Egypt to playa traditionally relevant geo-political & socio-economic role both in the Arab world & in the Mediterranean Basin. The objective of this study is to review the extent & the pace of fertility transition (& its policy implications) involving the country. The moderate diffusion of a spread education, the urbanization of only some areas mainly located in the Northern part of the country, the still limited female participation in the labor market, are all aspects that have influenced the Egyptian stagnant fertility decline. All these factors, together with the slow secularization of innovative reproductive behaviors, analyzed at the micro level as determinants of the propensity to have the third child in Egypt, seem to discriminate women's reproductive choices significantly. Our findings reveal, in fact, that despite Egypt's advanced stage of fertility transition, strong differences across the population strata still persist in the country. The demographic, cultural & socio-economic evolution seems, indeed, to be a phenomenon still quite differentiated among the social subgroups. Therefore, possible policies adopted by the Government, should necessarily involve a reduction of the existing inequalities among the segments of the population. References. Adapted from the source document.