Suchergebnisse

SummaryThe paper explores factors that influence fertility levels in Sri Lanka. It shows that three environmental variables and two socioeconomic variables explain 76–4% of the variance among districts.

SummaryThe paper uses multiple regression analysis to examine the variation in fertility among Indian Tamil concentrations in the Grama Sevaka divisions of Sri Lanka. Significant contributions are made by the proportion of females employed in agriculture, and the proportion of females aged 5–14 attending school, which together account for 85% of the variability. These variables serve as an index to the underlying attitudes to fertility and reproductive behaviour.

SummaryAll centres of Sri Lanka Moor concentration were identified, together accounting for 87·2% of the total Moor population of the island. The variations in the child/woman ratio that occur locally between wards within these communities show strong negative correlations with two measures of departure from conservatism, the proportion of females of school age attending school and the proportion of males engaged in non-agricultural occupations. These two variates together account for the greater part of the variation in the child/woman ratio from ward to ward in 1971.

SummaryThe paper explores the social and demographic factors that influence fertility in Sri Lanka since the second world war employing multiple regression analysis, and how these factors change with time. The dominating contribution made by female proportions currently married in the age group 20–24 in explaining fertility variation is emphasized.

SummaryThis study examines by multiple regression analysis the factors influencing district variation in infant mortality rate in Sri Lanka in a given year (1971). It shows that 83% of the district variation is explained by differences in the proportion of the population that is Indian Tamil, the proportion of female employees, and the proportion of females aged 15–19 with at least 5 years of education.

SummaryThe study examines the sex imbalance at the marriageable ages according to ethnic group and religion, utilizing data obtained from the complete tabulations of the 1971 Census of Population in Sri Lanka. The active enforcement of Indian repatriation, commencing in 1971, played a major role in increasing net migration rates to significant levels in 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975 and thereby reducing the island's growth rate to 1·45% and 1·71% in 1974 and 1975. These out-movements were further increased by the exodus of Sri Lanka citizens which began in 1972 and continued in the years 1973–75, presumably dominated by males aged 20–44 years. This emigration of Sri Lanka citizens is expected to continue and will aggravate further the difficulties of contracting a marriage within each ethnic and religious group. Possible demographic consequences are suggested.

SummaryThis paper examines the continuation from 1971 to 1975 of the fertility decline in Sri Lanka that commenced in 1960. New trends in contractive practice, especially of female sterilizations in 1974–76, are discussed, and change in the pattern of childbearing is identified. The fertlity decline is compared with that in Taiwan.

SummaryThe determinants of fertility variation among districts of Sri Lanka are explored by multiple regression analysis. The proportion of young women who are married (age 20–24), and the proportion of women of reproductive age who have received at least 5 years of education, account respectively for 46% and 24% of district variation in total fertility. Infant mortality variation accounts for only 8%. From the results it is argued that encouragement of education of women and postponement of marriage is one practical measure which will help to reduce Sri Lankan fertility.

SummaryThe study demonstrates that, regardless of location, a pronounced reduction in fertility is achieved in Sri Lanka by the completion of junior secondary or higher levels of education; the reduction seems to be more marked in rural than in urban areas. Increased efforts to ensure that a significantly higher proportion of girls in Sri Lanka complete at least the junior secondary level would be likely to effect a significant reduction in fertility. It is therefore important in developing countries to explore the potential influence of female educational attainment as an effective weapon towards fertility reduction and to ascertain the extent of the decline in fertility produced by varing degrees of education, according to various characteristics.

Using data obtained from the Censuses of 1963 and 1971, the Socio-Economic Survey conducted from November 1969 to October 1970 and the Registrar General's Department, this paper analyses fertility trends in Sri Lanka during the period 1960–72 with special reference to the sub periods 1963–70 and 1963–71. The analysis indicates that changes in the proportion of women marrying was the most significant factor in the decline in the crude birth rate during 1963–70 and 1963–71. In the discussion on future prospects, attention is focused on the increase in contraceptive use from 1973 onwards together with other factors such as further postponement of marriage for women, a higher level of spinsterhood and emigration. The adverse effects on future fertility reduction of progressively larger female cohorts entering the main child-bearing years (20–34) are also discussed.