The most comprehensive compilation of information on the status of
women in the world.

Latest items for BR-PRACTICE-1

Dec. 5, 2023, 11:18 a.m.
Countries: China
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"[I]n 2013[,] couples [were allowed] to have two children if one of the spouses was an only child. In late 2015, the authorities announced all married couples could legally have two children" (pp 8). "The authorities further eased the birth limit in 2021, raising it to three children per couple" (pp 9).
Nov. 28, 2023, 1:11 p.m.
Countries: China
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"Chinese software developer Tang Huajun loves playing with his two-year-old in their apartment on the outskirts of Beijing but he said he is unlikely to have another child" (pp 1). "Tang, 39, said many of his married friends have only one child and, like him, they are not planning any more. Younger people aren't even interested in getting married let alone having babies, he said" (pp 3).
Feb. 27, 2023, 1:02 p.m.
Countries: South Korea
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"Young Koreans have well-documented reasons not to start a family, including the staggering costs of raising children, unaffordable homes, lousy job prospects and soul-crushing work hours. But women in particular are fed up with this traditionalist society’s impossible expectations of mothers. So they’re quitting." (para 5). "But he’s got it backward — gender equality is the solution to falling birthrates. Many of the Korean women shunning dating, marriage and childbirth are sick of pervasive sexism and furious about a culture of violent chauvinism. Their refusal to be 'baby-making machines,' according to protest banners I’ve seen, is retaliation. 'The birth strike is women’s revenge on a society that puts impossible burdens...more
Feb. 27, 2023, 7:03 a.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: ATFPA-PRACTICE-1, BR-PRACTICE-1

“Related outreach is helping to reduce the stigmatization of women who are unable or choose not to have children — a pretext for marginalization in Bulgaria’s pro-natalist society...” (Para. 15)
Feb. 18, 2023, 11:17 a.m.
Countries: Mexico
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"Leti Montalvo swooped up her tottering 16-month-old and perched him on her hip as she cooked eggs for her 9-year-old daughter, keeping her eyes on the six other children jumping outside on a trampoline. Their squeals competed with the banging on the second floor, where her husband was helping install a second bathroom. Thirteen people live in the house, eight under the age of 10." (Para.1).
Feb. 18, 2023, 11:13 a.m.
Countries: South Korea
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"In recent years, economic pressures and career factors have been key considerations for people deciding on children, experts say. For the 2021 figures, experts cited higher living costs, a spike in house prices and the impact of the Covid pandemic as factors discouraging them from having children" (Para.9-10). "A crisis is brewing. If South Korea's population continues to shrink, there won't be enough people to grow its economy, look after its aging population, and conscript into its army." (Para.11) "Politicians have known for years this is coming but have been unable to fix it. They have thrown billions of dollars at trying to convince people to have children and are...more
Feb. 5, 2023, 9:19 p.m.
Countries: Turkey
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"In recent years, weddings of prosperous citizens in Turkey have sometimes featured a surprise guest: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He likes to give advice to newlyweds about how many children to have. 'One is awkward; two is competitive; with three, there is balance; four means prosperity,' he told one couple. (Erdoğan himself has four children.) 'Birth control is treason,' he said to another, accusing birth control advocates of attempting to 'dry out our breed'". (para 1). "The findings had an immediate effect on the government’s rhetoric. On March 8, 2008, International Women’s Day, Erdoğan asked female supporters in the Anatolian town of Uşak to have three children. 'Those people...more
Jan. 12, 2023, 10:12 p.m.
Countries: Japan
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"As the population grows older, typically the duty of care falls on family members, as the nation doesn’t necessarily have the resources to provide aged care services to such a large demographic. However, many people either don’t have regular contact with their family, or have no family at all (which will probably become more common as fewer and fewer Japanese people are choosing to get married and have children)" (para 4) (NF - CODER COMMENT - The fact that the government solely relies on families to care for their elders implies that bigger famiies are prefered rather than smaller families. This poses a major problem since Japan currently has a...more
Jan. 12, 2023, 7:31 p.m.
Countries: United Kingdom
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"But there has been a long-term trend of people opting to have children later in life and reduce family size ever since, the ONS said." (para 6). "The share of women reaching 30 without a child has been increasing consistently since the late 70s, when around a fifth were childless. That proportion rose dramatically the following decade. By 1980, 24 per cent of women aged 30 were childless, rising to 37 per cent by 1990. By the turn of the century, some 43 per cent of women mothered a child by their 30th birthday. And last year it breached the 50 per cent mark for the first time." (para 8...more
Jan. 6, 2023, 10:37 p.m.
Countries: India
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"A local official explained that women tell each other about the procedure…'There is a trend here [in Maharashtra] that girls are married at the age of 15-16, then they have two children, then family planning and then a hysterectomy' " (para 10).
Dec. 9, 2022, 2:29 p.m.
Countries: China
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"In 2016, the Chinese government altered its policy to allow married couples to have two children. In 2021, the number increased to three. But despite those changes, recent birth data published by China’s National Bureau of Statistics show a 'swan dive' in births since 2016 — indicating a paradox in the country at a time when the government was giving families more flexibility. Recent studies have shown Chinese women are increasingly choosing not to have children — a decision informed by the pandemic and how China’s isolation from the rest of the world has brought about economic uncertainty in the country. According to a February study conducted by Beijing-based think...more
June 28, 2022, 2:56 p.m.
Countries: Bangladesh
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"Women report 2.3 children as their ideal family size... Only 12% of currently married women age 15-49 want to have another child within 2 years; 21% would prefer to wait 2 or more years, and 60% want no more children or are sterilized. The desire to stop childbearing increases rapidly with the number of living children, from 12% among women with one child to 76% among women with two children and over 80% among women with three or more children. Conversely, the proportion of women who want to have another child decrease with the number of living children. For example, 65% of currently married women with no children want to...more
Jan. 6, 2022, 12:09 p.m.
Countries: Somalia
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"The more the merrier is the societal attitudes concerning what is the ideal family size. An average family size can be between six to eight. The more children you have the more you will be respected in society" (1).
Sept. 8, 2021, 5:50 p.m.
Countries: Japan
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"Just last week, a Japanese city manager sparked outrage when he gave a speech telling new employees to 'play around' to remedy the country's plunging birth rate" (para 3). This comment may reflect a societal view that a lowering birth rate is negative and should be reversed (JLR-CODER COMMENT).
Aug. 4, 2021, 12:58 p.m.
Countries: China
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"In response to a poll by Xinhua that was titled: 'Are you ready for the three-child policy?' just a tiny fraction of respondents chose 'I’m ready, I can’t wait.' Of roughly 22,000 people who had responded to the poll at one point, 20,000 chose 'I won’t consider it at all.' The poll was quickly deleted" (Para 8). "The lack of social support may discourage those who would otherwise want more children, but a more fundamental issue may be a lack of interest among younger, better educated women who have declared a preference for small families. Even if the government did offer more benefits, Ms. Li said, she would not want...more
July 16, 2021, 2:23 p.m.
Countries: India
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"Narendra Modi called for family planning measures and praised an 'informed section' of society who are 'doing good for the country' by choosing to have small families" (para 2).
July 16, 2021, 1:54 p.m.
Countries: Vietnam
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"This shows that Vietnam has maintained a stable birth rate for more than a decade, the trend of giving birth to two children in Vietnam is common" (para 18). The popularity of having two children indicates that it is seen as an ideal amount of children (SFR - CODER COMMENT).
Feb. 15, 2021, 10:28 p.m.
Countries: Cambodia
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

“The last she'd heard from her teenage daughter [who was sold as a child bride to a man in China] was a voice message on Feb. 10. ‘Mum - they don't give me a penny. They just keep me in the house. Maybe things will change when I give them a baby,’ it said” (para 2).
Feb. 6, 2021, 1:25 p.m.
Countries: China
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

“On the other hand, the Chinese government is taking draconian measures to slash birth rates among Uighurs and other minorities as part of a sweeping campaign to curb its Muslim population, even as it encourages some of the country's Han majority to have more children” (para. 12). “'The intention may not be to fully eliminate the Uighur population, but it will sharply diminish their vitality, making them easier to assimilate,' said Darren Byler, an expert on Uighurs at the University of Colorado. 'It's genocide, full stop. 'It´s not immediate, shocking, mass-killing on the spot type genocide, but it´s slow, painful, creeping genocide,' said Joanne Smith Finley, who works at Newcastle...more
Jan. 1, 2021, 3:38 p.m.
Countries: Japan
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"When a popular actor, Masaharu Fukuyama, married the actress Kazue Fukiishi in 2015, Mr. Suga predicted on television that their marriage would prompt 'Mama-sans' around the country to 'want to have babies alongside the new couple and contribute to the country'" (para 26).
Oct. 1, 2020, 9:06 p.m.
Countries: Hungary
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"Orban, a right-wing nationalist, has long advocated a 'procreation over immigration' approach to boost the population which has been falling steadily for four decades" (para 6). "Orban hopes the feritility drive will lead to 4,000 extra births in the country, which has a population of 9.8 million, by 2022" (para 8).
July 19, 2020, 1:45 p.m.
Countries: Nepal
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"10% of currently married women age 15-49 want to have another child soon and 14% want to wait 2 or more years, while 71% of women want no more children or have been sterilized. Table 6.1 also shows that among women with two children, only 4% want to have another child within 2 years and 5% want to have another later (after 2 years), while 88% want no more children or are already sterilized. Eighty-five percent of currently married men with two living children want no more children. Trends: The proportion of currently married women with two children who want no more children increased from 59% in 1996 to 88%...more
July 3, 2020, 4:25 p.m.
Countries: Zambia
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"Fifty-six percent of currently married women age 15-49 want to have another child; 17% of these women want to have another child within 2 years, while 35% want to wait at least 2 years. Thirty-six percent of women want no more children, and 2% are sterilised. Overall, 67% of currently married men age 15-49 want to have another child; 19% want to have another child soon, and 47% want to wait at least 2 years. Twenty-seven percent of men want no more children or are sterilised. The desire to limit childbearing among currently married women increases with number of living children, from 3% among those with no children to 79%...more
June 5, 2020, 1:19 p.m.
Countries: Papua New Guinea
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"The average household size in Papua New Guinea is 5.0 persons. Urban households are larger than rural households (6.0 persons versus 4.9 persons)" (12). "Average household size has decreased only slightly, from 5.2 persons in 2006 to 5.0 in 2016-18" (12). "Just over one quarter of currently married women age 15-49 want to have another child; 10% of these women want to have another child within 2 years, 16% want to wait at least 2 years, and 2% are undecided on when they want another child. Almost half of women want to limit childbearing: 46% of currently married women want no more children or are sterilised. Overall, 40% of currently...more
May 31, 2020, 6:36 p.m.
Countries: India
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"Nearly one in four (24%) currently married women age 15-49 want to have another child. Twelve percent of women want to have a child soon and 11 percent want to wait at least two years before having another child. Most other women want to limit childbearing: 32 percent want no more child and 36 percent are sterilized. Similar to women, a little over one in four (27%) currently married men age 15-49 want to have another child. Thirteen percent of men want to have another child soon and 12 percent want to wait at least two years before having another child, 64 percent want no more children, and 7 percent...more
May 15, 2020, 7:15 p.m.
Countries: Nigeria
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"Fertility decreases with increasing education and wealth" (97). "The number of children per woman declines with increasing education. Women with no education have 3.3 more children than women with more than a secondary education (6.7 children versus 3.4 children)" (99). "The number of children per woman also declines with increasing wealth, from 6.7 among those in the lowest wealth quintile to 3.8 among those in the highest quintile" (99). "In Nigeria, men desire more children than women (7.2 children versus 6.1 children)" (117). " 34% of currently married women age 15-49 want to have another child within 2 years, and 30% want to wait at least 2 years. 24% of...more
May 12, 2020, 10:21 a.m.
Countries: Jordan
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"Currently married women want 3.9 children on average, while men want 3.8 children" (pg 91). "Among women with no living children, 40% would like to have four children, 22% would like to have two children, and 8% would like to have no children" (pg 93). "Mean ideal number of children increases as number of living children increases" (pg 93).
April 19, 2020, 11:08 a.m.
Countries: Pakistan
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"The average household size is 6.6 persons, which is slightly less than in 2012-13 (6.8). The average household size is slightly larger in rural (6.8) than urban (6.3) areas" (13). "The mean ideal number of children is 3.9 among both currently married and ever-married women. Similarly, the mean ideal number of children is the same among currently married and ever-married men (4.3). In general, ideal number of children increases considerably with increasing numbers of living children among both women and men. For example, ever-married women who have fewer than three living children consider 3.5-3.6 children to be ideal, whereas those with six or more children consider 5.3 children as ideal;...more
April 14, 2020, 5:17 p.m.
Countries: Indonesia
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"The ideal family size among currently married women age 15-49 in Indonesia is 2.7 children, while currently married men age 15-54 prefer to have 2.9 children (Table 6.3 and Figure 6.3). The ideal family size in Indonesia declined from 2.8 children in the 2007 IDHS to 2.6 in the 2012 and 2017 IDHS. The ideal number of children for married men declined from 3.0 children in the 2007 IDHS to 2.8 children in the 2012 IDHS, and increased to 2.9 in the 2017 IDHS" (81). "Patterns by background characteristics: The more children respondents already have, the more children they consider ideal. For example, women who have no children or one...more
March 29, 2020, 6:41 p.m.
Countries: Maldives
Variables: BR-PRACTICE-1

"Twenty-three percent of currently married women age 15-49 want to have another child soon, while 17% want to wait at least 2 years…Women are more likely than men to want no more children, no matter how many children they already have. Overall, 42% of married women and 29% of men want to limit childbearing" (79). "Women consider 2.8 children to be ideal on average, while men prefer 2.9 children" (79). "Overall, the difference between the wanted fertility rate and the total fertility rate is very small (0.2 children). This suggests that women are generally having the number of children they want" (79). "Forty-four percent of currently married women age 15-49...more