From Early to Late: The Changing Landscape of Childbearing Age in South and Southeast Asia

Raza Mohammad, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Dhananjay W. Bansod, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

The age at which women initiate childbearing significantly influences fertility patterns, demographic dynamics, and public health outcomes. Understanding the trends and patterns of initiation of childbearing age is essential for informing reproductive health policies and interventions, particularly in South and Southeast Asian countries. DHS was conducted between 1987 and 2022 in countries including Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. Early (15-19), mid (20-29), and late (30-49) childbearing ages are categorized. The study reveals that Bangladesh has shown a decline in early but stable late childbearing rates. Cambodia exhibited a notable shift (3.6% in 2000 to 7.3% in 2021-22). The Philippines shows the same. India shows a significant shift in late childbearing (0.7% to 3.0% from 1992-93 to 2019-21). Indonesia (1.4% to 6.2% from 1987 to 2017), Maldives exhibit significant change in within a decay, Nepal (0.9% to 2.1% from 1996 to 2022), and Pakistan in late childbearing, Timor-Leste and Vietnam show stable patterns with mid to late as the initiation of childbearing age. These trends have implications for reproductive health policies in the region. Strategies to delay reproduction and reduce early childbearing can improve maternal and child health outcomes and support sustainable demographic transitions.

Keywords: Fertility, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Family Planning and Contraception, Data visualisation

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