Differential fertility in India : evidence from a survey in Karnataka State

Data collected in a sample survey of 1000 households in rural areas and 250 households in urban areas of Kolar district in the Karnataka state, Southern India during 1975 are used to study the fertility patterns and differentials among population groups defined by certain background variables. The analysis revealed that significant differences in fertility exist by religion, income, education and use of contraception and only weak differences are found by family type, occupation of husband and employment status of women. There exists a strong positive association between the number of infants died and number of children born alive to ever-married women. The regression analysis revealed that the socio-economic variables do explain a significant part in the total variation of the number of children ever born. Recent fertility surveys carried out in various parts of urban India have revealed the existence of pronounced differences in fertility levels among population groups classified by certain important socio­-economic variables. But, we have little information on whether this is also true of rural areas, because few fertility surveys carried out in rural areas of India have emphasised differential fertility. The present study should be considered as a contribution to our knowledge of fertility and fertility determinants in a rural population of Southern India. The existence of fertility differences by certain background variables is itself an indication that the onset of fertility decline has already begun even in rural populations