MEASURE DHS+ assists countries worldwide in the collection and use of data to monitor and evaluate 

population, health, and nutrition programs. Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development 

(USAID), MEASURE DHS+ is implemented by ORC Macro in Calverton, Maryland. 

 

The main objectives of the MEASURE DHS+ project are: 

1) to provide decisionmakers in survey countries with information useful for informed policy 

 choices, 

2) to expand the international population and health database, 

3) to advance survey methodology, and 

4) to develop in participating countries the skills and resources necessary to conduct high- 

 quality demographic and health surveys. 

 

Information about the MEASURE DHS+ project or the status of MEASURE DHS+ surveys is available on 

the Internet at http://www.measuredhs.com or by contacting: 

ORC Macro 

11785 Beltsville Drive, 

Suite 300 

Calverton, MD 20705 USA 

Telephone: 301-572-0200 

Fax: 301-572-0999 

E-mail: reports@orcmacro.com
DHS Comparative Reports No. 5 

Trends in Marriage and Early Childbearing 

in Developing Countries

Charles F. Westoff 

July 2003 

ORC Macro 

Calverton, Maryland USA
This publication was made possible through support provided by the U.S. Agency for International 

Development under the terms of Contract No. HRN-C-00-97-00019-00. The opinions expressed herein 

are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Agency for International 

Development. 

Recommended citation: 

Westoff, Charles F. 2003. Trends in Marriage and Early Childbearing in Developing Countries. DHS 

Comparative Reports No. 5. Calverton, Maryland: ORC Macro.
iii

Contents

Preface ................................................................................................................................ v 

Acknowledgments..............................................................................................................vi 

Executive Summary ..........................................................................................................vii 

1 Introduction........................................................................................................... 1 

2 Marital Status ........................................................................................................ 1 

 2.1 Informal Unions....................................................................................... 3 

 2.2 Marital Stability ....................................................................................... 5 

 2.3 Multiple Marriages .................................................................................. 7 

3 Polygyny ............................................................................................................... 9 

4 Adolescent Pregnancy and Fertility .................................................................... 12 

 4.1 Trends in Adolescent Fertility ............................................................... 15 

 

5 Age at Marriage .................................................................................................. 23 

 5.1 Trends in Age at Marriage ..................................................................... 26 

 5.2 Trends in Age at Marriage by Residence and Education....................... 30 

6 Men’s Age at Marriage ....................................................................................... 35 

 6.1 Spouse Differences in Age at Marriage ................................................. 38 

7 Age at First Birth ................................................................................................ 40 

 7.1 Trends in Age at First Birth ................................................................... 43 

8 Summary and Conclusions ................................................................................. 47 

References........................................................................................................................ 48 

Appendix A Percentage of women who married before age 20 (M) 

 and percentage who had their first birth before age 20 (B), 

 by birth cohort........................................................................................ 49 

Appendix B Country codes ........................................................................................ 53 
v

Preface 

One of the most significant contributions of the MEASURE DHS+ program is the creation of an 

internationally comparable body of data on the demographic and health characteristics of populations in 

developing countries. The DHS Comparative Reports series examines these data across countries in a 

comparative framework. The DHS Analytical Studies series focuses on specific topics. The principal objectives of both series are to provide information for policy formulation at the international level and to 

examine individual country results in an international context. Whereas Comparative Reports are primarily descriptive, Analytical Studies take a more analytical approach. 

The Comparative Reports series covers a variable number of countries, depending on the availability of data sets. Where possible, data from previous DHS surveys are used to evaluate trends over 

time. Each report provides detailed tables and graphs organized by region. Survey-related issues such as 

questionnaire comparability, survey procedures, data quality, and methodological approaches are addressed as needed. 

The topics covered in Comparative Reports are selected by MEASURE DHS+ staff in conjunction with the MEASURE DHS+ Scientific Advisory Committee and USAID. Some reports are updates 

and expansions of reports published previously. 

It is anticipated that the availability of comparable information for a large number of developing 

countries will enhance the understanding of important issues in the fields of international population and 

health by analysts and policymakers. 

Martin Vaessen 

Project Director
vi

Acknowledgments 

The author would like to thank Noureddine Abderrahim of ORC Macro for his help in producing 

some of the tabulations for this report and for his review of the manuscript. Special thanks as well to Fern 

Greenwell for her careful and thorough critique of the whole report. At the Office of Population Research, 

Princeton University, I would like to acknowledge Judie Miller who provided enormous skill and patience 

in preparing the tables and figures and Elana Broch of the library who tracked down many numbers and 

references. 
vii

Executive Summary 

Profound demographic changes are occurring in the developing world in connection with 

women’s age at entry into marriage and parenthood. A demonstrable pattern of later age at marriage has 

emerged from analyses of Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data from 59 countries in surveys 

conducted between 1990 and 2002. The delay of marriage is now evident in many but not all countries in 

sub-Saharan Africa. The trend is more advanced in Asia and North Africa; and it is continuing in Latin 

America, although only modestly. It is occurring in both urban and rural areas and among women with no 

formal education as well as educated women. In many developing countries, it is reflected by later age at 

birth for women having their first child. Although teenage fertility is declining in some countries, a few 

Latin American countries have experienced increases in teenage pregnancy and childbearing, evidently 

caused by increases in the proportion of sexually active adolescents. These exceptions notwithstanding, 

the general picture is one of changes consistent with lower fertility and associated improvements in 

women’s status. 

Other analyses confirm the decline of polygyny in sub-Saharan Africa, although its prevalence 

remains high in some countries. Informal unions are increasing. The trend toward later age at marriage for 

women in sub-Saharan Africa is not evident for men. One result of this difference is the narrowing of the 

age difference between spouses. 
1

1 Introduction 

The focus of this report is an international comparative analysis of age at marriage and age at first 

birth. In one sense, it is an update of comparative studies published in the early 1990s (Westoff, 1992; 

Westoff, Blanc, and Nyblade, 1994) with emphasis on trends over the past decade. In the 1994 report, the 

latest survey had been conducted in 1992; in this report, some surveys are as recent as 2002. There are 

now many repeat surveys, which has facilitated analysis of trends. The new evidence shows there have 

been significant changes in marital behavior over the past decade. Except for some trend analyses, this 

review is limited to countries where DHS surveys were conducted between 1990 and 2002. For analyses 

of trends, estimates from earlier DHS surveys as well as from the World Fertility Survey are included. 

Although the primary focus is on trends in age at first marriage and age at first birth, the report 

also examines marital instability, informal unions, polygyny, and teenage reproductive behavior. 

The importance of these subjects lies in their relationship with women’s status, especially 

educational opportunities for women, as well as concerns about fertility (Adlakha, Kumar, and Ayad, 

1991) and the population growth rate. For most of human history, marriage and reproduction have taken 

place soon after menarche and, in the absence of effective methods of fertility control, have resulted in a 

long period of childbearing. Over the past century, this pattern has changed dramatically in developed 

countries with age at marriage and age at first birth occurring later and later. In recent decades, a similar 

change has been occurring in developing countries as well, and there is now a clear pattern of later age at 

marriage in many sub-Saharan countries. This report documents these changes. 

2 Marital Status 

The distribution of women age 15-49 by current marital status is shown in Table 2.1. There is 

considerable variation in the percentage of women currently in union (either formally married or living 

together), particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In sub-Saharan Africa, the range is from 42-43 percent in 

Namibia and South Africa to over 80 percent in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger. A dramatic 

statistic is the very high proportion of widowed women in Rwanda (8 percent), reflecting the recent 

history of violence in that country. 

The proportion of women currently in union in countries outside of sub-Saharan Africa shows 

less variation, ranging from about 50 to 70 percent. Countries falling outside this range are Bangladesh, 

Nepal, Pakistan, and India, with about three-fourths of all women currently in union. The only country 

that comes close to the prevalence of widowhood in Rwanda is Cambodia (6 percent), probably for 

similar reasons. 

It should be noted that marital status data in this report refer to current status only; a full marital 

history is not collected in DHS surveys. This has serious limitations: for example, many widows could be 

remarried and would thus appear in the “in union” category. Similar data shortcomings limit the analysis 

of marital instability. The percentage currently divorced or separated ranges from about 1 percent in 

Burkina Faso, Jordan, Nepal, and Pakistan to 17 percent in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. 
2

Table 2.1 Percent distribution of women age 15-49 by current marital status, various surveys, 1990-2002 

Country 

Never 

 married 

Married or 

living together Widowed 

Divorced or 

separated Total 

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 

Benin 2001 21.7 73.4 1.7 3.1 100.0 

Burkina Faso 1998-1999 16.9 80.4 1.8 1.0 100.0 

Cameroon 1998 23.4 66.9 3.2 6.6 100.0 

Central African Republic 1994-1995 19.5 69.4 2.0 9.1 100.0 

Chad 1996-1997 13.7 78.2 3.1 5.0 100.0 

Comoros 1996 39.0 53.6 1.2 6.3 100.0 

Côte d'Ivoire 1998-1999 30.4 61.3 2.0 6.2 100.0 

Eritrea 2002 23.3 65.5 3.7 7.4 100.0 

Ethiopia 2000 24.0 63.7 3.6 8.7 100.0 

Gabon 2000 32.6 54.1 1.0 12.1 100.0 

Ghana 1998 23.7 64.6 1.8 9.9 100.0 

Guinea 1999 13.9 82.4 1.4 2.2 100.0 

Kenya 1998 30.1 61.4 3.7 4.9 100.0 

Madagascar 1997 23.4 62.8 2.2 11.6 100.0 

Malawi 2000 17.0 71.5 3.5 8.0 100.0 

Mali 2001 13.5 83.5 1.3 1.8 100.0 

Mauritania 2000-2001 28.6 58.8 1.9 10.8 100.0 

Mozambique 1997 15.1 74.4 1.2 9.3 100.0 

Namibia 1992 51.3 41.6 1.4 5.5 100.0 

Niger 1998 11.2 84.2 1.4 3.1 100.0 

Nigeria 1999 26.0 70.1 1.6 2.2 100.0 

Rwanda 2000 34.1 48.5 7.9 9.5 100.0 

Senegal 1997 26.9 68.1 1.0 4.1 100.0 

South Africa 1998 48.3 43.2 2.4 6.1 100.0 

Sudan 1990 39.8 55.5 2.0 2.7 100.0 

Tanzania 1999 23.4 65.8 3.2 7.6 100.0 

Togo 1998 24.9 67.9 2.4 4.8 100.0 

Uganda 2000-2001 20.1 67.4 3.4 9.2 100.0 

Zambia 2001-2002 24.8 61.3 4.7 9.3 100.0 

Zimbabwe 1999 27.7 61.1 4.2 7.0 100.0 

NORTHERN AFRICA/ 

WESTERN ASIA/EUROPE 

 

Armenia 2000 28.8 64.1 3.3 3.8 100.0 

Egypt 2000 31.9 62.8 3.4 1.8 100.0 

Jordan 2002 45.6 51.7 1.5 1.2 100.0 

Morocco 1995 42.4 52.2 2.0 3.4 100.0 

Turkey 1998 27.7 69.0 1.7 1.5 100.0 

Yemen 1997 28.3 67.4 2.0 2.4 100.0 

CENTRAL ASIA 

Kazakhstan 1999 25.3 62.9 3.0 8.8 100.0 

Kyrgyz Republic 1997 21.5 69.5 2.5 6.5 100.0 

Turkmenistan 2000 32.4 61.7 2.2 3.6 100.0 

Uzbekistan 1996 24.9 70.2 1.8 3.0 100.0 

SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN ASIA 

Bangladesh 1999-2000 17.3 76.2 3.6 2.9 100.0 

Cambodia 2000 31.8 59.1 6.0 3.1 100.0 

India 1998-1999 19.9 75.1 3.4 1.6 100.0 

Indonesia 1997 25.3 69.7 2.5 2.5 100.0 

Nepal 2001 17.9 78.5 2.4 1.2 100.0 

Pakistan 1994-19951 24.2 74.2 1.2 0.4 100.0 

Philippines 1998 36.4 59.6 1.7 2.3 100.0 

Vietnam 1997 33.5 62.7 1.8 2.0 100.0 

 Continued...
3

Table 2.1—Continued

County 

Never 

married 

Married or 

living together Widowed 

Divorced or 

separated Total 

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN 

Bolivia 1998 33.4 59.4 1.4 5.7 100.0 

Brazil 19962 30.6 60.1 1.6 7.7 100.0 

Colombia 2000 34.0 51.2 2.1 12.7 100.0 

Dominican Republic 2002 23.0 59.8 0.5 16.6 100.0 

Ecuador 19993 32.1 58.0 1.3 8.5 100.0 

El Salvador 19984 29.6 55.8 – 14.6 – 

Guatemala 1998-1999 26.2 65.8 1.5 6.5 100.0 

Haiti 2000 31.4 58.7 1.8 8.3 100.0 

Nicaragua 2001 25.8 56.8 0.8 16.5 100.0 

Paraguay 1995-19965 30.1 62.3 1.0 6.7 100.0 

Peru 2000 35.8 56.1 1.4 6.6 100.0 

1 Based on Pakistan Contraceptive Prevalence Survey, 1994-1995 2 Based on 1999 CDC survey 

3 Based on women 15-44 

4 Based on 1998 CDC survey 

5 Based on 1995-1996 CDC survey 

2.1 Informal Unions 

In developed countries around the world, there is an increasing tendency for couples to live 

together outside of formal marriage. Although most women still marry eventually, marriage may not be to 

the man with whom they initially cohabited. In European Union countries in 2000-01, nearly a third of 

men and women age 25-34 were unmarried but were either currently cohabiting or had cohabited 

previously (Kiernan, 2002). The pattern of cohabitation outside of marriage can also be seen in 

developing countries, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean (UN, 1990) and in some subSaharan countries. About a third of women age 25-34 in Latin American countries in the 1990s were in a 

consensual union (Martin, 1997). In 1950, more than 40 percent of current unions in seven of 20 Latin 

American countries were categorized as informal cohabitation (Stycos, 1968). 

Table 2.2 shows the proportion of unions that are informal in countries with significant levels of 

such unions. Multiple surveys in these countries permit observation of trends. Because informal unions 

are typically most common at younger ages, the table is limited to women under 40 years of age. 

With few exceptions, the trend is toward greater prevalence of informal cohabitation, particularly 

in Latin American countries such as Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, and Peru. For example, in the 

Dominican Republic, nearly two-thirds of women age 35-39 are still in an informal union. Informal 

unions at older ages are likely to include women who were previously divorced or separated. Other 

countries with high levels of informal cohabitation but for which trend data are lacking are Côte d’Ivoire, 

Mozambique, Namibia, and Nicaragua. In most of the Asian countries, the DHS samples are composed 

of ever-married women and do not distinguish formal and informal unions. 
4

Table 2.2 Among women in union age 15-39, percentage who are in an informal union, by current age, various surveys, 1990-

2002 

 Age of woman 

Country 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 

Benin 1996 14 12 11 9 7 

 2001 6 18 20 17 16 

Cameroon 1991 28 24 16 11 9 

 1998 29 23 17 11 8 

Eritrea 1995 4 9 7 7 11 

 2002 3 5 6 6 7 

Ghana 1988 17 9 7 8 5 

 1993 48 30 16 12 10 

 1998 51 31 23 14 14 

Madagascar 1992 24 19 18 14 11 

 1997 31 26 24 21 23 

Rwanda 1992 84 58 48 40 32 

 2000 71 56 43 38 35 

Tanzania 1992 8 6 6 13 7 

 1996 13 12 9 11 10 

 1999 11 12 11 10 12 

Uganda 1988 26 22 20 20 8 

 1995 17 12 12 12 11 

 2000-2001 42 38 31 33 30 

SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN 

ASIA 

 

Philippines 1993 36 14 9 7 7 

 1998 43 18 10 9 8 

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN 

Bolivia 1989 49 35 21 11 12 

 1994 65 43 24 15 13 

 1998 74 46 26 21 15 

Brazil 1986 34 20 16 14 11 

 1996 50 31 26 18 18 

Colombia 1986 67 48 35 34 30 

 1990 74 56 40 37 28 

 1995 82 62 51 47 37 

 2000 89 73 58 50 40 

Dominican 

Republic 1986 84 76 63 59 54 

 1991 86 70 61 56 49 

 1996 87 72 64 55 57 

 2002 93 86 77 68 64 

Ecuador 1987 53 40 33 31 31 

 1999 56 43 34 30 29 

 

El Salvador 1985 82 65 57 52 51 

 1998 84 67 54 49 45 

Guatemala 1987 58 44 38 36 39 

 1995 58 43 36 30 31 

 1998-1999 56 49 40 32 32 

Paraguay 1990 42 34 26 20 19 

 1995-1996 64 46 30 26 27 

Peru 1986 72 49 37 26 20 

 1992 70 54 40 28 23 

 1996 81 66 51 39 31 

 2000 84 73 57 46 33 
5

2.2 Marital Stability 

Given the limitations of current-marital-status data, there is likely to be some degree of inaccuracy in estimates of marital stability. For example, from the data collected, it is possible to know if a 

woman not currently in union is divorced, but it is not possible to know if a woman currently in union 

was previously divorced. Also, since divorce laws vary substantially, the proportion of women who are 

divorced is at best an imperfect measure of the stability of marriage. And finally, the measure of marital 

stability used here includes all women not living with their partner, that is, those who have a legal or 

informal separation, as well as those not living with their partner because of the dissolution of an informal 

union. The measure used here is the percentage of ever-married women (including women in informal 

unions for countries with such information) who are no longer in their first union. This measure reflects 

not only the proportion currently divorced or not living with their partner but also widowed women 

whose first union ended with the death of their partner. The measure excludes those women whose first 

union ended but who are remarried. In short, it reflects only the proportion of women still in their first 

union. 

As expected, Table 2.3 shows that the proportion of intact first unions declines with the duration 

of the union. The highest proportions of women still in their first union after 30 years are in India, 

Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, all of which exceed 80 percent. At the opposite extreme are the 

Dominican Republic and Haiti, where only one-third of women are still in their first union after 30 years. 

This measure of marital stability reflects the effects of mortality—most significant in sub-Saharan 

Africa—as well as other causes of marital dissolution. 

Stability in the first five years of marriage varies from highs around 95 percent in most of the 

Asian countries to an average of around 82 percent in the Latin America/Caribbean countries. The data 

from the sub-Saharan countries indicate that an average of 85 percent of recently married women are still 

in their first union. 
6

Table 2.3 Percentage of ever-married women still in their first union, by duration (years) of first union, Demographic and 

Health Surveys, 1990-2002 

Duration (years) of first union 

Country 0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30+ Total 

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 

Benin 2001 91.9 81.2 71.1 64.5 63.2 59.3 53.8 74.6 

Burkina Faso 1999 92.9 87.2 84.0 77.7 76.4 67.5 68.0 82.3 

Cameroon 1998 82.1 69.5 63.8 62.6 58.9 59.6 51.9 67.5 

Central African Republic 1994 81.5 61.3 54.0 49.8 43.3 43.8 45.2 57.9 

Chad 1997 91.0 80.7 74.1 69.9 63.2 56.6 52.0 74.3 

Comoros 1996 79.9 65.2 54.0 51.8 46.9 32.8 38.1 56.6 

Côte d’Ivoire 1998 92.4 71.4 60.1 67.4 62.2 52.2 51.1 70.6 

Ethiopia 2000 77.3 63.0 56.5 49.3 49.7 46.4 37.4 56.4 

Ghana 1998-1999 77.1 64.0 54.1 56.3 48.3 46.1 40.6 59.1 

Guinea 1999 88.1 82.0 81.9 76.4 72.7 66.3 66.0 78.5 

Kenya 1998 90.6 82.8 81.6 83.2 75.7 68.9 65.8 81.7 

Madagascar 1997 74.4 62.4 56.1 47.8 50.0 43.2 38.1 57.7 

Malawi 2000 81.0 69.8 63.2 53.9 52.8 49.0 38.1 64.7 

Mali 2001 89.6 88.2 82.1 80.6 76.2 74.9 64.9 82.1 

Mozambique 1997 81.2 62.9 59.3 47.5 52.0 45.7 42.4 60.6 

Namibia 1992 79.0 70.7 65.3 64.2 61.0 65.7 47.2 69.1 

Niger 1998 88.5 75.3 63.9 62.6 58.0 59.2 47.2 68.2 

Nigeria 1999 90.4 87.7 84.0 81.5 76.0 77.0 64.4 83.1 

Rwanda 2001 84.1 67.3 56.8 55.2 50.2 48.5 43.5 62.5 

Senegal 1993 92.6 80.3 72.6 72.4 60.3 63.4 56.5 73.9 

Tanzania 1999 82.4 70.3 62.2 58.0 52.2 52.3 39.6 65.1 

Togo 1998 91.3 76.8 68.6 63.0 56.4 51.0 45.1 69.7 

Uganda 1995 82.6 70.3 62.8 57.6 51.8 46.7 40.3 65.9 

Zambia 1996 84.1 66.4 64.1 55.3 50.0 42.3 39.7 63.9 

Zimbabwe 1999 87.9 71.5 71.0 68.4 68.1 64.2 51.7 74.2 

NORTHERN AFRICA/ 

WESTERN ASIA/EUROPE 

 

Armenia 2000 95.0 88.1 85.6 85.4 84.9 82.5 73.4 86.5 

Egypt 2000 97.7 95.0 91.3 88.6 83.1 79.2 70.4 89.1 

Jordan 2002 97.2 94.7 93.0 93.2 87.8 84.8 78.7 92.4 

Morocco 1995 88.7 81.3 81.6 78.2 70.0 73.1 68.6 78.9 

Sudan 1990 94.9 88.2 83.9 79.7 75.5 73.2 65.8 83.2 

Turkey 1998 97.8 95.7 94.6 91.9 88.5 87.5 78.8 92.7 

Yemen 1997 94.4 90.4 86.7 82.6 79.9 77.0 73.3 85.3 

CENTRAL ASIA 

Kazakhstan 1999 83.9 77.5 73.0 71.0 65.0 64.2 54.9 72.9 

Kyrgyzstan 1997 84.8 77.2 80.7 80.5 73.7 69.4 61.7 78.6 

Turkmenistan 2000 91.7 84.5 82.0 79.2 81.3 76.5 82.1 83.6 

Uzbekistan 1996 94.6 91.5 89.7 86.8 86.1 77.4 82.1 89.4 

SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN ASIA 

Bangladesh 1999-2000 93.8 90.0 87.8 85.1 79.1 76.7 73.6 85.5 

India 1998-1999 97.3 95.3 94.0 91.0 89.1 85.8 81.0 92.2 

Indonesia 1997 95.0 90.7 85.5 83.0 74.3 68.3 53.2 82.1 

Nepal 2001 96.4 93.2 90.5 87.1 82.8 81.2 77.5 88.9 

Pakistan 1991 95.9 95.7 95.7 93.0 93.2 88.9 87.1 94.1 

Philippines 1998 95.0 93.5 88.9 83.4 82.4 78.8 72.7 88.2 

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN 

Bolivia 1998 88.2 86.9 83.1 82.3 75.0 69.6 58.7 81.9 

Brazil 1996 84.9 80.5 75.7 73.2 69.8 65.1 52.1 75.5 

Colombia 2000 79.9 69.7 63.7 58.5 56.4 50.1 44.0 64.5 

Dominican Rep. 1996 73.0 57.3 51.6 46.5 41.2 38.3 33.0 53.5 

Guatemala 1995 86.3 82.5 81.3 78.8 70.8 68.8 66.4 79.0 

Haiti 2000 76.0 58.0 48.3 45.4 38.9 37.9 31.9 53.5 

Nicaragua 1997 69.7 59.7 53.9 50.1 45.7 49.0 38.9 55.6 

Paraguay 1990 90.9 84.4 85.5 83.5 78.7 79.9 68.3 84.5 

Peru 2000 89.0 82.6 80.7 76.4 73.8 73.3 66.9 79.9 
7

2.3 Multiple Marriages 

Another crude measure of marital stability is the proportion of ever-married women who have 

married more than once. It is a composite statistic that reflects both dissolution of the first union either 

through divorce or death but also captures the likelihood of remarriage. The percentage of ever-married 

women married more than once is shown in Table 2.4 by rural-urban residence and education. 

Between 2 and 38 percent of ever-married women have married more than once. The lowest 

values (less than 3 percent) are for Armenia, India, and Pakistan. The highest values are for Central 

African Republic, Comoros, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, and Haiti, all exceeding 30 percent. The 

mean is 21 percent for the 25 sub-Saharan countries included in this tabulation. In the Latin 

America/Caribbean countries, the average is 19 percent, while in the remaining Asian and Northern 

African countries it is much lower, an average of 7 percent. 

The prevalence of multiple marriages in urban and rural areas is mixed. In the sub-Saharan 

countries, there is no distinct pattern, with slightly more countries showing a higher prevalence in rural 

areas. But many of the differences are slight. In the four central Asian countries, the residents of cities are 

more likely to have remarried, but the reverse is true in southern and southeastern Asia. In the Latin 

America/Caribbean countries, urban women show a higher prevalence of remarriage, but the differences 

are small and not consistent. 

In all except a few countries in sub-Saharan Africa, there is an almost unbroken decline in 

multiple marriages with increasing education. In some countries, the differences are quite striking. For 

example, in Indonesia, 24 percent of ever-married women with no education are in non-first unions, 

compared with only 4 percent of women with more than primary education. In Colombia, the 

corresponding estimates are 36 and 14 percent, and in the Dominican Republic, they are 47 and 20 percent, respectively. While this negative association of education with multiple marriage is the dominant 

pattern in sub-Saharan Africa, there are also many exceptions. In 7 of the 25 countries in sub-Saharan 

Africa, the lowest rates of multiple marriage are not among the most educated women. Higher rates found 

among less educated women may result from a lower frequency of polygynous unions in this group. 
8

Table 2.4 Among ever-married women age 15-49, percentage married more than once, by urban-rural residence 

and level of education, various surveys, 1986-2001 

 Level of education 

Residence 

Country Urban Rural 

No 

 education Primary 

Secondary 

or higher Total 

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 

Benin 2001 18.9 21.1 20.1 22.4 17.3 20.3 

Burkina Faso 1999 12.5 15.2 15.5 9.6 8.0 14.9 

Cameroon 1998 18.6 22.1 25.7 18.6 18.3 21.0 

Central Africa Republic 1994 33.5 31.6 30.1 35.7 34.0 32.4 

Chad 1997 24.9 17.2 18.5 20.5 21.1 18.9 

Comoros 1996 38.5 36.0 40.1 28.7 29.9 36.6 

Côte d'Ivoire 1998 17.0 21.0 18.6 23.9 14.2 19.6 

Ethiopia 2000 36.0 35.1 37.5 27.6 17.7 35.3 

Ghana 1998-1999 27.5 30.6 25.0 36.8 30.1 29.6 

Guinea 1999 18.1 17.4 17.3 19.2 19.3 17.6 

Kenya 1998 7.8 6.4 10.6 7.6 2.6 6.7 

Madagascar 1997 23.8 32.1 43.6 30.0 16.3 30.0 

Malawi 2000 17.6 27.4 33.8 24.0 10.1 26.0 

Mali 2001 17.6 14.4 14.5 19.1 18.8 15.2 

Mozambique 1997 28.0 30.5 31.7 29.2 15.8 30.0 

Namibia 1992 19.8 19.2 24.6 21.3 12.9 19.4 

Niger 1998 27.6 28.8 29.2 26.3 17.8 28.6 

Nigeria 1999 11.1 11.5 14.2 11.2 5.7 11.4 

Rwanda 2001 12.4 15.9 18.1 14.2 11.4 15.4 

Sudan 1990 9.3 10.4 12.9 7.4 3.3 10.0 

Tanzania 1999 22.6 23.3 30.1 20.4 10.7 23.1 

Togo 1998 25.4 23.3 22.6 27.5 21.7 24.0 

Uganda 1995 23.2 23.4 26.8 23.0 14.1 23.4 

Zambia 1996 16.9 25.1 28.2 23.2 13.2 11.7 

Zimbabwe 1999 11.5 14.1 21.4 16.3 8.3 13.2 

 

NORTHERN AFRICA/ 

WESTERN ASIA/EUROPE 

 

Armenia 2000 2.8 2.1 * * 2.4 2.5 

Egypt 2000 4.0 4.1 5.7 4.8 1.9 4.0 

Morocco 1995 10.3 13.9 14.9 8.6 3.7 12.3 

Turkey 1998 2.9 3.5 4.0 3.1 2.1 3.0 

Yemen 1997 9.2 9.4 10.5 5.1 3.7 9.4 

 

CENTRAL ASIA 

Kazakhstan 1999 14.2 10.1 * * 12.3 12.4 

Kyrgzstan 1997 17.1 9.1 * * 11.7 11.7 

Turkmenistan 2000 11.5 2.6 3.7 10.1 7.0 7.0 

Uzbekistan 1996 8.0 3.1 * * 4.9 5.0 

 

SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN ASIA 

Bangladesh 2000 4.6 7.3 10.3 5.5 2.0 6.8 

India 1999 1.2 1.9 2.4 1.8 0.5 1.7 

Indonesia 1997 9.7 13.7 24.1 14.1 4.1 12.6 

Nepal 2001 3.7 7.4 8.7 4.1 1.1 7.0 

Pakistan 1991 2.0 2.5 2.5 1.1 1.9 2.3 

Philippines 1998 5.9 6.1 11.8 8.1 4.7 6.0 

 

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN 

Bolivia 1998 8.7 7.7 10.4 9.0 7.4 8.4 

Brazil 1996 13.6 11.5 21.6 14.9 10.9 13.2 

Colombia 2000 18.1 16.8 35.8 21.2 14.1 17.8 

Dominican Republic 1996 32.6 32.9 47.2 38.9 20.3 32.7 

Guatemala 1999 11.1 8.8 11.4 10.5 5.3 9.8 

Haiti 2000 38.1 38.6 46.9 36.0 26.0 38.4 

Nicaragua 1997 31.3 24.9 33.1 30.8 24.6 28.9 

Paraguay 1990 8.7 7.6 10.2 9.9 4.0 8.2 

Peru 2000 9.4 9.1 12.3 11.1 7.7 9.9 

Note: An asterisk indicates that there are fewer than 25 unweighted cases in this subgroup and the figure has been 

suppressed. 
9

3 Polygyny 

Unions where more than one wife is involved are most common in sub-Saharan Africa, and the 

data presented in this description are confined to that part of the world. Table 3.1 shows the percentage of 

currently married women who are in a polygynous union, the difference from 100 percent being the 

prevalence of monogamy. Again, the absence of a full marital history and the reliance on current status 

information means that we do not know how many women may have been in a different type of union in 

the past. 

Table 3.1 Percent of currently married women age 15-49 in a polygynous union, by current age, sub-Saharan Africa, Demographic and 

Health Surveys, 1990-2002 

Age of woman 

Country 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 Total 

Benin 2001 29.1 32.8 41.7 48.7 58.0 54.9 59.6 45.8 

Burkina Faso 1998-1999 38.9 43.4 48.6 58.2 64.6 68.9 68.8 54.7 

Cameroon 1998 23.3 25.4 29.5 33.6 39.1 47.0 47.5 33.1 

Central African Republic 1994-1995 21.3 23.1 27.1 32.8 35.8 36.4 27.4 28.5 

Chad 1996-1997 20.8 31.4 39.3 47.5 48.4 49.6 49.3 39.2 

Comoros 1996 9.3 13.9 21.0 22.4 34.0 35.7 35.7 25.3 

Côte d'Ivoire 1998-1999 23.5 27.0 27.5 36.1 43.8 46.5 53.6 35.0 

Eritrea 2002 3.9 6.1 8.8 11.1 12.6 11.5 10.7 9.3 

Ethiopia 2000 4.5 8.0 10.1 18.6 17.4 21.3 17.3 13.6 

Gabon 2000 15.8 17.5 18.0 22.1 27.2 27.2 32.9 22.0 

Ghana 1998 10.0 13.2 15.8 26.4 30.5 27.5 33.3 22.7 

Guinea 1999 30.5 37.4 51.1 56.6 64.8 69.7 70.2 53.7 

Kenya 1998 10.1 9.2 15.0 16.7 18.9 24.8 25.5 16.3 

Madagascar 1997 4.9 4.2 4.2 3.8 4.3 3.6 2.5 4.0 

Malawi 2000 7.5 11.3 18.1 22.2 21.7 21.5 24.3 17.2 

Mali 2001 22.3 28.1 39.3 48.8 53.6 58.6 56.3 42.6 

Mauritania 2000-2001 4.8 7.4 7.3 13.5 14.9 17.1 18.7 11.6 

Mozambique 1997 21.2 27.9 27.4 27.7 36.4 33.5 27.3 28.5 

Namibia 1992 18.2 21.2 27.7 25.0 29.3 27.3 21.0 25.4 

Niger 1998 21.2 29.2 36.7 42.1 47.0 53.0 49.8 37.8 

Nigeria 1999 30.2 26.5 30.6 37.5 40.7 46.3 44.9 35.7 

Rwanda 2000 6.7 8.0 9.1 12.0 15.3 17.5 20.0 12.3 

Senegal 1997 27.3 35.0 42.5 50.1 57.8 64.5 68.8 48.6 

South Africa 1998 * 9.5 10.6 14.9 11.3 14.1 12.4 12.5 

Sudan 1990 11.7 13.6 17.8 23.7 24.4 26.3 26.5 20.4 

Tanzania 1996 21.8 20.1 27.3 30.6 35.3 35.4 38.0 28.8 

Togo 1998 23.0 28.6 37.8 44.2 51.9 55.9 58.6 42.8 

Uganda 2000-2001 20.9 25.5 31.9 39.6 39.3 38.0 40.2 32.7 

Zambia 2001-2002 8.3 9.3 16.3 18.1 23.0 24.4 21.4 16.2 

Zimbabwe 1999 14.3 14.8 15.2 15.9 14.7 19.2 15.9 15.5 

Note: The asterisk indicates that there are fewer than 25 unweighted cases in this subgroup and the figure has been suppressed. 

The extent of polygyny is highly variable in sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from a high around 54 

percent among women currently in union in Burkina Faso and Guinea to a low of 4 percent in Madagascar. The age pattern typically features increasing proportions of polygynous unions with advancing age, 

peaking in the 40s. With few exceptions, polygyny is more common in rural than in urban areas, and its 

prevalence declines with increasing education (Table 3.2). 
10

Table 3.2 Percent of currently married women age 15-49 in a polygynous union, by urban-rural residence 

and level of education, sub-Saharan Africa, Demographic and Health Surveys, 1990-2002 

Level of education 

Residence 

Country Urban Rural 

No 

education Primary 

Secondary 

or higher 

Benin 2001 37.4 50.2 50.0 38.7 26.3 

Burkina Faso 1998-1999 29.8 58.3 57.5 33.5 13.9 

Cameroon 1998 26.3 36.0 47.5 30.1 16.7 

Central African Republic 1994-1995 26.2 29.9 30.3 27.9 21.3 

Chad 1996-1997 36.8 39.9 40.0 36.5 32.7 

Comoros 1996 20.0 27.0 29.9 14.3 17.3 

Côte d'Ivoire 1998-1999 25.3 40.1 41.2 26.8 13.0 

Eritrea 2002 9.3 9.3 10.5 9.0 5.6 

Ethiopia 2000 6.9 14.5 14.6 10.1 5.1 

Gabon 2000 20.4 27.0 29.7 22.7 20.3 

Ghana 1998 15.7 25.8 31.6 22.9 15.8 

Guinea 1999 46.6 56.3 55.5 46.6 38.4 

Kenya 1998 11.0 17.8 29.7 15.7 10.7 

Madagascar 1997 3.1 4.3 6.6 3.3 3.0 

Malawi 2000 8.7 18.6 20.9 16.3 8.8 

Mali 2001 33.6 45.5 44.1 38.7 25.9 

Mauritania 2000-2001 11.1 12.0 18.9 7.3 7.0 

Mozambique 1997 18.5 30.9 32.3 25.5 17.6 

Namibia 1992 20.9 28.3 30.8 25.9 20.9 

Niger 1998 39.4 37.5 38.3 34.6 28.9 

Nigeria 1999 30.9 37.7 46.1 30.3 18.5 

Rwanda 2000 9.2 12.9 18.4 10.6 5.9 

Senegal 1997 43.8 51.1 52.7 37.5 27.5 

South Africa 1998 9.6 16.8 26.3 15.8 9.5 

Sudan 1990 16.3 22.8 26.5 14.5 7.7 

Tanzania 1996 20.6 31.0 38.9 24.1 15.3 

Togo 1998 33.9 46.6 49.1 34.3 33.4 

Uganda 2000-2001 36.4 32.1 34.8 32.0 31.5 

Zambia 2001-2002 6.2 21.6 23.4 17.3 9.0 

Zimbabwe 1999 7.6 20.0 30.2 18.4 10.0 

In at least half of the 18 sub-Saharan countries with more than one survey there is evidence of a 

decline in polygyny (Figure 3.1). Ghana and Kenya show the largest declines in this type of union. 
11

Figure 3.1 Trends in the percentage of currently married women in polygynous unions, 

western Africa and southern and eastern Africa, various surveys 

Western Africa 

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Nigeria

Senegal

Togo

Burkina Faso

Mali

Ghana

Cameroon

Niger Côte d' Ivoire

Benin

Mauritania

Southern and Eastern Africa 

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Kenya

Zimbabwe Zambia

Rwanda

Malawi

Uganda

Tanzania

Eritrea
12

4 Adolescent Pregnancy and Fertility 

Age at first marriage and age at first birth have long been a focus of attention because of the 

implications for health and educational opportunities of young women as well as concerns regarding 

fertility and population growth. In developing countries generally, young age at marriage and age at first 

birth have been the norm. The evidence presented in this report indicates that this pattern is undergoing 

change. One approach to the subject is to look at the prevalence of pregnancy and motherhood in the 

teenage segment of the population. Table 4.1 shows the percentage of women age 15-19 who are mothers 

or currently pregnant. 

In sub-Saharan Africa, the proportion of teenagers who are mothers or currently pregnant is 

generally high (20-40 percent), although the range extends from 7 percent in Rwanda to 43 percent in 

Niger. In the other regions, rates are substantially lower with the exception of Bangladesh (35 percent). In 

Latin America and the Caribbean, rates for the 15-19 age group are more homogeneous, ranging from 13 

to 25 percent. Where many countries in sub-Saharan Africa as well as Bangladesh differ from the other 

countries is the level of pregnancy and childbirth among the very young. Because the individual and 

demographic “costs” of motherhood are higher for the very young teenagers, Table 4.1 shows estimates 

for single years of age from 15 to 19. In sub-Saharan Africa, there are seven countries with at least 

10 percent of 15 year-olds pregnant or already mothers; at age 16, there are 16 countries in this category 

including seven with levels exceeding 20 percent. This is in contrast with the lower levels in Northern 

Africa, Western and Central Asia, and Southern and Southeastern Asia (with the exception of 

Bangladesh). The rates for the youngest teenagers in Latin America and the Caribbean are intermediate 

between those in sub-Saharan Africa and the other countries. 

Table 4.1 Percentage of women age 15-19 who are mothers or currently pregnant, by single years of 

age, Demographic and Health Surveys, 1990-2002 

Age of woman 

Country 15 16 17 18 19 Total 

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 

Benin 2001 5.9 8.2 19.1 33.4 40.1 21.5 

Burkina Faso 1998-1999 2.5 6.4 20.1 47.8 58.7 25.4 

Cameroon 1998 6.0 21.2 34.1 41.1 53.8 31.2 

Central African Republic 1994-1995 9.8 17.4 35.5 53.7 67.6 36.1 

Chad 1996-1997 9.1 21.2 40.4 57.5 68.1 38.5 

Comoros 1996 3.7 3.6 9.0 12.3 20.6 9.1 

Côte d'Ivoire 1998-1999 9.6 29.4 29.6 41.0 49.2 31.0 

Eritrea 2002 2.1 2.8 7.9 24.8 36.3 14.0 

Ethiopia 2000 1.2 6.5 15.5 27.4 39.7 16.3 

Gabon 2000 10.1 19.1 41.0 43.8 52.2 32.7 

Ghana 1998 1.6 5.8 13.9 21.1 31.7 14.1 

Guinea 1999 9.5 23.4 38.9 54.7 62.3 37.2 

Kenya 1998 3.3 6.0 19.6 30.1 44.9 20.9 

Madagascar 1997 8.4 16.8 34.1 56.4 58.5 35.7 

Malawi 2000 4.2 13.2 29.5 48.5 66.4 33.0 

Mali 2001 11.2 22.2 37.9 61.1 68.7 40.4 

Mauritania 2000-2001 5.2 13.4 10.9 21.3 30.4 15.8 

Mozambique 1997 7.5 19.6 43.5 63.0 66.7 40.0 

Namibia 1992 1.3 6.3 18.7 36.0 45.4 21.5 

Niger 1998 12.2 30.3 47.1 62.6 70.7 43.1 

Nigeria 1999 10.8 9.4 26.4 30.5 34.3 21.9 

Rwanda 2000 0.2 1.3 4.5 10.1 21.0 6.8 

Senegal 1997 4.7 9.4 22.9 33.7 39.7 22.3 

South Africa 1998 2.4 7.9 14.2 24.6 35.1 16.4 

Sudan 1990 1.6 4.4 9.2 17.9 23.9 10.9 

Tanzania 1996 1.3 11.2 17.1 39.2 60.6 26.1 

Togo 1998 2.4 8.2 17.2 29.8 41.3 19.4 

Uganda 2000-2001 3.3 12.9 23.2 54.0 61.2 31.4 

Zambia 2001-2002 4.5 15.0 33.8 44.2 56.9 31.6 

Zimbabwe 1999 4.9 5.6 18.4 32.0 45.6 20.5 

 Continued... 
13

Table 4.1—Continued

Age of woman 

Country 15 16 17 18 19 Total 

NORTHERN AFRICA/ 

WESTERN ASIA/EUROPE 

 

Armenia 2000 0.1 1.4 2.3 8.1 20.0 6.0 

Egypt 2000 0.6 2.7 7.3 12.3 20.4 8.5 

Jordan 2002 0.0 1.8 3.8 6.2 10.6 4.3 

Morocco 1995 1.0 2.4 4.3 8.1 14.5 6.4 

Turkey 1998 1.8 1.9 8.8 16.0 23.1 10.2 

Yemen 1997 1.6 5.1 12.2 27.8 38.4 15.5 

 

CENTRAL ASIA 

Kazakhstan 1999 0.0 1.3 3.1 10.1 21.2 6.7 

Kyrgyz Republic 1997 0.0 0.4 6.7 14.7 28.2 9.4 

Turkmenistan 2000 0.0 0.2 3.3 5.5 11.7 4.3 

Uzbekistan 1996 0.0 0.0 3.2 15.4 31.3 9.5 

 

SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN ASIA

Bangladesh 1999-2000 15.9 26.0 36.5 45.0 57.3 34.7 

Cambodia 2000 0.7 1.7 5.6 13.2 22.0 8.2 

India 1998-1999 5.5 10.5 19.0 29.1 41.0 20.6 

Indonesia 1997 2.2 3.7 10.7 18.9 29.7 12.2 

Nepal 2001 1.5 9.3 17.5 34.0 40.5 21.4 

Pakistan 1990-1991 5.5 6.1 13.0 18.9 30.6 15.7 

Philippines 1998 0.5 1.6 5.0 10.5 21.3 7.2 

Vietnam 1997 – 1.0 – 2.1 8.4 19.3 5.7 

 

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN 

Bolivia 1998 3.7 4.8 13.9 21.7 29.7 13.7 

Brazil 1996 4.4 10.6 20.5 25.3 34.8 18.0 

Colombia 2000 3.2 11.0 20.3 26.7 32.9 19.1 

Dominican Republic 2002 7.1 13.4 23.8 32.1 40.6 23.3 

Guatemala 1998-1999 6.1 10.6 22.3 29.6 44.3 21.6 

Haiti 2000 2.3 7.9 19.1 26.8 31.2 18.0 

Nicaragua 2001 7.9 10.5 25.4 35.2 45.5 24.7 

Paraguay 1990 3.5 5.8 15.1 27.1 34.3 16.8 

Peru 2000 2.5 6.7 11.8 21.4 25.3 13.0 

With only few exceptions, teenage fertility is higher in rural than in urban areas (Table 4.2). The 

reasons for this include later age at marriage and higher levels of education in cities. 

There is a strong negative association of teenage fertility with education (Table 4.2). The 

association does not to imply that less education causes higher fertility but rather that teenage mothers are 

concentrated among the least educated segment of the population. There are serious and probably 

intractable issues of endogeny in this association, with causal effects in both directions. Although it is true 

that less educated young women are more likely to become pregnant, it is also true that girls with babies 

and girls who become pregnant while attending school are more likely to leave school than other girls. 

But these issues should not obscure the fact that the least educated teenagers will be raising these 

children. 
14

Table 4.2 Percentage of women age 15–19 who are mothers or currently pregnant, by residence and level of education, 

Demographic and Health Surveys, 1990-2002 

Level of education 

Residence 

Country Urban Rural No education Primary

Secondary 

 or higher 

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 

Benin 2001 11.9 30.0 32.6 15.0 4.9 

Burkina Faso 1998-1999 14.4 28.4 28.5 18.6 9.9 

Cameroon 1998 20.2 38.1 47.4 35.5 20.3 

Central African Republic 1994-1995 34.7 37.4 39.7 33.8 33.7 

Chad 1996-1997 38.7 38.4 40.4 37.9 16.0 

Comoros 1996 9.4 9.0 13.9 8.8 2.3 

Côte d'Ivoire 1998-1999 18.9 41.0 38.9 30.6 8.6 

Eritrea 2002 7.6 19.3 25.3 13.5 6.5 

Ethiopia 2000 9.1 18.3 20.8 8.9 9.5 

Gabon 2000 31.2 40.4 35.4 37.8 29.7 

Ghana 1998 8.5 17.4 22.1 23.5 9.8 

Guinea 1999 25.4 45.5 45.5 24.1 10.1 

Kenya 1998 17.5 21.8 41.4 23.7 9.2 

Madagascar 1997 22.1 41.3 53.5 37.0 17.7 

Malawi 2000 27.1 34.2 56.1 33.2 19.7 

Mali 2001 27.9 49.3 46.8 31.9 15.9 

Mozambique 1997 30.6 43.6 50.1 37.9 11.4 

Namibia 1992 24.1 20.4 49.6 20.5 20.3 

Niger 1998 24.3 48.5 48.8 29.4 9.7 

Nigeria 1999 12.1 26.1 57.7 20.6 4.9 

Rwanda 2000 6.9 6.8 11.8 6.4 3.8 

Senegal 1997 12.7 30.5 29.3 16.3 7.6 

Sudan 1990 7.2 13.5 21.3 13.2 3.7 

Tanzania 1996 23.5 26.9 39.6 24.4 9.4 

Togo 1998 11.7 25.4 37.7 16.1 4.0 

Uganda 2000-2001 22.5 33.6 59.0 33.1 16.7 

Zambia 2001-2002 27.1 34.9 45.6 35.7 21.3 

Zimbabwe 1999 16.1 22.8 36.8 30.8 15.5 

NORTHERN AFRICA/WESTERN 

ASIA/EUROPE 

 

Armenia 2000 4.0 8.9 * * 6.0 

Egypt 2000 5.3 10.9 17.2 17.5 4.8 

Jordan 2002 4.8 2.2 14.0 12.1 4.3 

Morocco 1995 3.3 9.1 8.6 8.2 2.5 

Turkey 1998 9.4 11.4 22.1 15.0 3.3 

Yemen 1997 13.4 16.3 19.0 14.4 9.7 

CENTRAL ASIA 

Kazakhstan 1999 7.0 6.4 * * 6.7 

Kyrgyz Republic 1997 5.3 11.2 * * 9.4 

Turkmenistan 2000 3.8 4.6 * * 4.3 

Uzbekistan 1996 9.4 9.6 * * 9.5 

SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN ASIA 

Bangladesh 1999-2000 25.5 37.0 55.7 44.5 20.9 

Cambodia 2000 7.2 8.5 13.3 7.5 5.9 

India 1998-1999 11.9 23.8 63.0 61.0 53.0 

Indonesia 1997 5.6 15.8 23.3 21.5 5.4 

Nepal 2001 12.6 22.5 31.5 19.6 12.4 

Pakistan 1990-1991 9.9 18.7 65.1 55.2 55.3 

Philippines 1998 4.7 10.8 * 15.9 5.5 

Vietnam 1997 1.6 6.6 10.9 9.3 4.0 

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN 

Bolivia 1998 11.1 21.8 51.5 28.9 8.8 

Brazil 1996 16.6 24.2 54.4 28.3 14.1 

Colombia 2000 16.9 26.2 * 33.7 15.0 

Dominican Republic 2002 21.0 28.1 64.3 34.0 13.0 

Guatemala 1998-1999 16.0 25.7 40.5 25.6 9.2 

Haiti 2000 13.3 22.8 44.6 18.8 10.7 

Mexico 1987 16.0 23.0 50.1 26.1 11.4 

Nicaragua 2001 21.3 30.2 46.3 32.4 16.2 

Paraguay 1990 12.8 20.8 33.8 24.2 6.2 

Peru 2000 9.2 21.7 36.9 26.4 9.2 

Note: An asterisk indicates that there are fewer than 25 unweighted cases in the subgroup and the figure has been suppressed. 
15

4.1 Trends in Adolescent Fertility 

Countries that have conducted more than one survey provide the basis for examining trends in 

adolescent pregnancy and fertility. In some countries, however, the interval between surveys is short and 

long-term changes may be obscured. 

The picture regarding trends in adolescent pregnancy and fertility is mixed (Figure 4.1). In West 

Africa, some countries show modest declines in teenage fertility. Declines are evident in Benin and Côte 

d’Ivoire among older teenagers and among both older and younger girls in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, 

Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo. Only in Niger is there indication of an increase among 15-17 

year-olds and no change among older teenagers. 

In southern and eastern Africa, there are more exceptions to the decline of teenage fertility. There 

is no apparent change in Tanzania, and there appears to be increases in Madagascar and perhaps among 

older teenagers in Zimbabwe. There are downward trends among older teenagers in Kenya, Rwanda, and 

Zambia and sharp declines in both age groups in Eritrea. 

Among the five southern and southeastern Asian countries, there may be a decline in teenage 

pregnancy underway in India but clearly not in Bangladesh. The levels are much lower in Indonesia and 

the Philippines, but there is no evidence of any downward trend. There is some suggestion of decline in 

Nepal over a recent five-year period. 

In Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco, teenage fertility is quite low, and the most recent surveys show 

the lowest level. There is little or no change in Turkey or in Yemen. In Kazakhstan, there appears to be a 

significant decline in fertility among 18-19 year-olds. 

In Latin America and the Caribbean, there have been increases in teenage fertility in Brazil, 

Colombia, and the Dominican Republic. In Colombia, where four surveys were conducted between 1986 

and 2000, there has been an increase in pregnancy and childbirth among teens. Haiti may be similar. In 

Peru, which has also had four surveys between 1986 and 2000, there is no apparent trend in either 

direction. Why teenage fertility has been increasing in some of these countries is puzzling in view of 

increasing education and the availability of contraception. A possible explanation is that sexual 

intercourse is occurring at younger ages in countries where teenage pregnancy is increasing. The 

percentage of Brazilian teenagers who report never having had sex decreased from 80 to 67 between 1986 

and 1996. In Colombia between 1986 and 2000, the decline was from 80 to 60 percent, while in the 

Dominican Republic the proportion of teenagers who reported never having had sex dropped from 76 to 

64 percent between 1986 and 2002. 

The sharp decline in the proportion of teenagers who have never had sex in Brazil, Colombia, and 

the Dominican Republic is not evident in the other countries for which trend data were collected (Figure 

4.2). In most of the other countries, there has been either little change in the proportion of teenagers who 

have never had sex or increases, particularly in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria. Increases in the 

age at sexual initiation may have positive implications for reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS in subSaharan Africa. In general, however, the proportion of teenagers who have never had sex is lower in subSaharan Africa than in the other regions. 
16

Figure 4.1 Trends in adolescent pregnancy or fertility: the percentage of women 

age 15-17 and 18-19 who are mothers or currently pregnant 

WESTERN AFRICA 

Benin 1996, 2001

11

45

11

36

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1996 2001

Burkina Faso 1992-1993, 1998-1999

14

59

10

53

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1992-1993 1998-1999

Cameroon 1991, 1998

24

51

21

47

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1991 1998

Côte d'Ivoire 1994, 1998-1999

23

54

23

45

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1994 1998-1999

Ghana 1988, 1993, 1998

11

41

7

40

6

26

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1988 1993 1998

Mali 1987, 1995-1996, 2001

32

70

26

66

23

64

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1987 1995-1996 2001

Niger 1992, 1998

24

65

31

66

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1992 1998

Nigeria 1990, 1999

21

41

15

32

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1990 1999
17

Figure 4.1—Continued 

Senegal 1986, 1992-1993, 1997

19

47

13

41

13

36

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1986 1992-1993 1997

Togo 1988, 1998

15

43

9

35

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1988 1998

SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AFRICA 

Eritrea 1995, 2002

10

43

4

28

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1995 2002

Kenya 1989, 1993, 1998

19

46

8

38

9

37

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1989 1993 1998

Madagascar 1992, 1997

16

48

20

57

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1992 1997

Malawi 1992, 2000

19

58

15

56

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1992 2000

Rwanda 1992, 2000

4

21

2

15

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1992 2000
18

Figure 4.1—Continued 

Tanzania 1992, 1996, 1999

13

50

10

50

12

50

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1992 1996 1999

Uganda 1995, 1998, 2000-2001

23

59

24

67

13

57

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1995 1998 2000-2001

Zambia 1992, 1996, 2001

17

60

16

53

17

50

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1992 1996 2001

Zimbabwe 1988, 1994, 1999

10

36

10

37

10

39

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1988 1994 1999

NORTHERN AFRICA/WESTERN ASIA/EUROPE 

Egypt 1988, 1992, 1995, 2000

5

18

4

21

4

21

3

16

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1988 1992 1995 2000

Jordan 1990, 1997, 2002

3

16

3

16

2 8

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1990 1997 2002

Morocco 1987, 1992, 1995

4

15

4

13

2

12

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1987 1992 1995

Turkey 1993, 1998

4

19

4

19

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1993 1998
19

Figure 4.1—Continued 

Yemen 1991-1992, 1997

6

29

6

32

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1991-1992 1997

Kazakhstan 1995, 1999 

3

21

2

15

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1995 1999

SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN ASIA 

Bangladesh 1993-1994, 1996-1997, 

1999-2000

23

51

26

52

25

51

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1993-1994 1996-1997 1999-2000

India 1992-1993, 1998-1999

12

38

11

34

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1992-1993 1998-1999

Indonesia 1987, 1991, 1994, 1997

5

21

5

23

4

23

5

24

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1987 1991 1994 1997

Nepal 1996, 2001

12

43

11

37

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1996 2001

Philippines 1993, 1998

2

15

2

15

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1993 1998
20

Figure 4.1—Continued 

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN 

Bolivia 1989, 1994, 1998

7

33

9

34

7

24

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1989 1994 1998

Brazil 1986, 1996

8

22

12

30

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1986 1996

Colombia 1986, 1990, 1995, 2000

7

23

8

22

9

32

12

30

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1986 1990 1995 2000

Dominican Republic 1986, 1991, 1996, 

2002

9

30

11

28

15

35

15

37

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1986 1991 1996 2002

Guatemala 1987, 1995, 1998-1999

13

42

12

38

13

37

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1987 1995 1998-1999

Haiti 1994-1995, 2000

7

27

10

29

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1994-1995 2000

Peru 1986, 1992, 1996, 2000

6

23

6

21

7

24

7

23

15-17 18-19 0

20

40

60

80

1986 1992 1996 2000
21

Figure 4.2 Trends in the percentage of women age 15-19 who have never had sex, 

Demographic and Health Surveys, 1990-2002 

47 46

32

27

62

50

54

47

27

44

51

35 36

68

62

56

44

36

20

40

60

80

100

1996 2001 1993 1999 1991 1998 1994 1999 1988 1998 1989 1997 1992 1997 1987 2001

Benin Burkina

Faso

Cameroon Côte 

d'Ivoire

Ghana Kenya Madagascar Mali

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Eritrea

1995 2002

39

46

86

65

49

36 38 39

68

37

58

86

65

47

39 38

43

68

20

40

60

80

100

1992 1998 1990 1999 1992 2000 1992 1997 1992 1999 1988 1998 1988 1995

Niger Nigeria Rwanda Senegal Tanzania Togo Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe

1992 2001 1988 1999
22

Figure 4.2—Continued

ASIA

83

80

57

92

82 83

60

91

20

40

60

80

100

 1987 1997 1995 1999 1986 2001 1993 1998

Indonesia Kazakhstan Nepal Philippines

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN

75

80 80

76 77

68

71 71

82 80

67

60

64

75

69

75 77 78

20

40

60

80

100

1989 1998 1986 1996 1986 2000 1986 2002 1987 1999 1988 1998 1997 1999

Bolivia Brazil Colombia Dominican

Republic

Ecuador El 

Salvador

Guatemala Haiti Peru

1994 2000 1986 2000
23

5 Age at Marriage 

There are several indicators of age at first union. The two used most frequently in the DHS 

surveys are median age at first union and the percent married by certain ages (18, 20, 22). In this analysis, 

we use the percentage married before age 20 (or phrased differently, the percent of women married as 

teenagers) and the median age at marriage. 

The percentage of women married before age 20 is shown in Table 5.1 by women’s age at the 

time of the survey. The statistic of greatest current interest is that for the youngest age group, women 20-

24. The proportion married before age 20 in this age group is highest in some of the least developed 

countries: Chad and Niger, at 86 and 85 percent, respectively, are the highest. Other countries where at 

least 75 percent of women in this cohort were married before age 20 are Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, 

Guinea, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, and Uganda. Countries with the lowest proportion of women married 

as teenagers are Namibia and South Africa, at 20 and 14 percent, respectively. 

Table 5.1 Percentage of women who married before age 20, by current age, various surveys, 1990-2002 

Age of woman 

Country 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 

Benin 2001 58.5 59.2 63.0 62.3 63.2 

Burkina Faso 1998-1999 84.1 81.7 84.4 84.1 87.5 

Cameroon 1998 61.2 66.6 71.9 70.6 76.7 

Central African Republic 1994-1995 73.5 74.9 75.4 65.4 80.6 

Chad 1996-1997 86.3 85.8 84.9 85.7 86.9 

Comoros 1996 39.8 47.4 61.8 66.8 69.0 

Côte d'Ivoire 1998-1999 49.5 52.4 64.4 64.4 66.1 

Eritrea 2002 63.3 62.6 66.7 58.6 61.4 

Ethiopia 2000 64.7 71.2 85.2 84.6 91.4 

Gabon 2000 48.9 47.1 49.6 56.1 57.9 

Ghana 1998 56.4 53.8 62.3 57.9 65.0 

Guinea 1999 78.8 81.8 81.1 78.7 82.3 

Kenya 1998 46.1 48.2 55.7 63.3 66.1 

Madagascar 1997 61.5 59.4 57.9 64.9 63.6 

Malawi 2000 72.9 76.0 75.8 74.4 77.0 

Mali 2001 80.9 79.4 80.2 78.9 80.4 

Mauritania 2000-2001 49.7 55.9 67.5 71.2 73.9 

Mozambique 1997 77.8 74.0 72.5 80.7 76.3 

Namibia 1992 20.0 20.2 24.7 26.3 28.2 

Niger 1998 85.1 90.2 91.4 95.9 95.5 

Nigeria 1999 52.7 58.0 64.9 66.6 70.3 

Rwanda 2000 41.6 37.6 40.0 44.5 45.0 

Senegal 1997 50.6 58.1 70.0 74.1 76.6 

South Africa 1998 14.2 20.2 26.9 29.5 30.3 

Sudan 1990 36.6 47.2 59.7 72.9 77.9 

Tanzania 1999 61.8 62.5 68.2 66.7 78.9 

Togo 1998 48.4 63.3 62.8 58.6 61.0 

Uganda 2000-2001 74.9 71.3 74.4 72.0 76.2 

Zambia 2001-2002 63.3 66.1 69.1 74.0 80.2 

Zimbabwe 1999 52.9 52.5 54.1 65.3 62.3 

NORTHERN AFRICA/WESTERN ASIA/EUROPE 

Armenia 2000 37.2 53.1 48.8 43.6 38.9 

Egypt 2000 35.9 42.5 50.8 57.2 59.5 

Jordan 2002 21.5 30.5 31.4 35.5 43.7 

Morocco 1995 29.2 33.2 42.8 53.6 60.3 

Turkey 1998 42.8 45.6 47.5 60.6 66.2 

Yemen 1997 63.6 75.6 80.8 86.5 83.9 

CENTRAL ASIA 

Kazakhstan 1999 39.9 39.8 31.9 31.0 29.3 

Kyrgyz Republic 1997 58.4 45.0 40.2 38.3 46.7 

Turkmenistan 2000 26.2 26.4 22.3 23.5 38.8 

Uzbekistan 1996 55.7 51.0 42.7 51.4 56.2 

 Continued...
24

Table 5.1—Continued

Age of woman 

Country 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 

SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN ASIA 

Bangladesh 1999-2000 75.4 84.7 90.2 92.2 95.1 

Cambodia 2000 41.1 51.1 46.6 53.4 45.0 

India 1998-1999 66.4 74.1 78.3 79.9 81.8 

Indonesia 1997 47.0 50.9 60.1 67.5 67.2 

Nepal 2001 74.5 80.5 82.3 82.9 84.2 

Pakistan 1990-1991 48.9 58.4 63.1 60.5 60.9 

Philippines 1998 27.5 30.2 34.2 34.2 36.8 

Vietnam 1997 35.9 37.7 34.8 34.9 34.6 

 

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN 

Bolivia 1998 38.5 43.5 41.8 44.5 42.9 

Brazil 1996 38.8 41.6 40.8 41.7 39.3 

Colombia 2000 37.1 39.3 35.5 39.9 39.7 

Dominican Republic 2002 56.4 58.3 59.0 56.3 61.4 

Ecuador 19991 40.5 43.8 43.2 48.1 49.4 

El Salvador 19982 46.4 51.9 52.5 58.0 59.3 

Guatemala 1998-1999 55.5 57.0 56.7 56.0 60.1 

Haiti 2000 43.0 46.3 43.2 50.4 49.8 

Nicaragua 2001 60.1 66.4 65.1 65.3 70.4 

Paraguay 1995-19963 45.7 43.3 40.3 37.2 38.9 

Peru 2000 33.6 37.2 38.0 41.8 39.2 

1 Based on CDC 1999 survey 

2 Based on CDC 1998 survey 

3 Based on CDC 1995-1996 survey 

Comparison of the proportion married before age 20 across age groups is one method of 

examining trends in age at marriage. Most of the countries in Table 5.1 show evidence of a trend toward 

later marriage, indicated by higher proportions of women in the older age groups. This trend is reviewed 

more comprehensively in the next section. 

The association of urban-rural residence and education with age at first marriage is shown in 

Table 5.2, using median age at marriage for women age 25-49. In all but a few countries, the median age 

at marriage in urban areas exceeds that in rural areas by an average of about 1.5 years. The direct 

association of level of education with age at marriage is consistent, and frequently shows differences of 

5-6 years in median age at marriage between women with no schooling and those with secondary or 

higher education. Similar residential and educational differentials in age at marriage were documented 

previously during the World Fertility Survey (McCarthy, 1982). 
25

Table 5.2 Median age at first marriage for women 25–49, by urban-rural residence and level of education, Demographic and Health 

Surveys, 1990-2002 

Level of education 

Residence 

Country Urban Rural No education Primary 

Secondary 

or higher Total 

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 

Benin 2001 20.0 18.2 18.1 19.6 23.6 18.8 

Burkina Faso 1998-1999 18.6 17.6 17.6 18.0 23.2 17.6 

Cameroon 1998 18.4 16.8 15.3 17.7 20.6 17.4 

Central African Republic 1994-1995 16.9 17.6 17.4 17.0 17.7 17.3 

Chad 1996-1997 16.0 15.8 15.7 16.5 17.9 15.8 

Comoros 1996 19.5 18.3 17.8 18.8 23.4 18.5 

Côte d'Ivoire 1998-1999 19.8 18.2 17.9 19.3 22.5 18.7 

Eritrea 2002 19.3 17.5 17.4 18.3 22.8 18.3 

Ethiopia 2000 16.9 15.9 15.8 17.3 21.2 16.0 

Gabon 2000 20.0 18.2 18.0 18.1 21.0 19.7 

Ghana 1998 19.7 18.8 18.5 18.8 19.7 19.1 

Guinea 1999 17.4 16.0 16.1 17.1 20.1 16.4 

Kenya 1998 21.0 18.8 16.6 18.5 21.9 19.2 

Madagascar 1997 20.2 18.0 16.3 18.0 21.5 18.5 

Malawi 2000 18.4 17.7 17.5 17.7 21.2 17.8 

Mali 2001 17.5 16.2 16.1 17.1 21.8 16.5 

Mauritania 2000-2001 17.5 16.8 15.9 18.5 21.6 17.1 

Mozambique 1997 18.1 16.8 16.5 17.5 22.7 17.1 

Namibia 1992 a 24.0 22.6 24.7 a 24.8 

Niger 1998 15.8 15.0 15.0 15.9 20.5 15.1 

Nigeria 1999 19.4 17.3 15.6 18.3 22.1 17.9 

Rwanda 2000 21.5 20.5 20.0 20.7 22.7 20.7 

Senegal 1997 19.6 16.3 16.5 19.6 23.6 17.4 

South Africa 1998 24.8 22.9 21.4 23.1 25.0 24.2 

Sudan 1990 19.1 17.1 16.2 18.3 a 17.8 

Tanzania 1999 18.8 18.0 16.7 18.4 23.2 18.1 

Togo 1998 20.0 18.5 18.4 18.8 22.2 18.8 

Uganda 2000-2001 18.7 17.6 17.1 17.5 20.7 17.8 

Zambia 2001-2002 18.3 17.6 16.8 17.4 20.2 17.8 

Zimbabwe 1999 20.0 18.8 17.8 18.5 20.8 19.3 

 

NORTHERN AFRICA/ 

WESTERN ASIA/EUROPE 

Armenia 2000 21.1 19.7 * * 20.5 20.5 

Egypt 2000 21.2 18.1 17.3 18.4 22.7 19.5 

Jordan 2002 21.9 21.3 19.2 19.0 20.4 21.8 

Morocco 1995 21.9 19.0 18.8 21.0 26.8 20.2 

Turkey 1998 19.8 18.9 17.6 19.1 22.3 19.5 

Yemen 1997 16.3 15.9 15.8 16.8 21.9 16.0 

 

CENTRAL ASIA 

Kazakhstan 1999 21.3 21.1 * * 21.2 21.2 

Kyrgyz Republic 1997 20.9 20.2 * * 20.4 20.4 

Turkmenistan 2000 21.2 21.6 21.1 19.6 21.5 21.5 

Uzbekistan 1996 20.8 19.6 * * 20.1 20.1 

 

SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN ASIA 

Bangladesh 1999-2000 15.8 14.4 14.0 14.6 17.2 14.7 

Cambodia 2000 20.6 19.9 19.7 19.8 21.4 20.0 

India 1998-1999 18.5 16.5 15.8 16.8 19.5 16.9 

Indonesia 1997 20.4 17.9 16.9 17.6 22.0 18.6 

Nepal 2001 17.6 16.6 16.4 17.2 18.9 16.7 

Pakistan 1990-1991 19.1 18.4 18.0 18.4 20.1 18.6 

Philippines 1998 23.0 21.0 18.7 19.8 23.3 22.1 

Vietnam 1997 23.5 20.8 20.5 20.0 21.8 21.3 

 Continued...
26

Table 5.2—Continued

Level of education 

Residence 

Country Urban Rural No education Primary 

Secondary 

or higher Total 

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN 

Bolivia 1998 21.2 20.3 20.2 19.7 22.1 20.9 

Brazil 1996 21.3 20.2 18.8 19.7 22.2 21.1 

Colombia 2000 21.8 20.4 18.6 19.8 22.9 21.5 

Dominican Republic 2002 19.3 18.5 16.2 17.6 21.5 19.0 

Guatemala 1998-1999 20.3 18.4 17.8 19.0 21.9 19.3 

Haiti 2000 21.9 19.8 19.3 20.1 24.8 20.5 

Nicaragua 2001 18.7 17.3 16.4 17.4 20.3 18.2 

Paraguay 1990 21.8 19.8 19.4 20.0 23.3 20.9 

Peru 2000 22.5 19.6 18.8 19.2 23.5 21.4 

Note: An aserisk indicates that there are fewer than 25 unweighted cases in this subgroup and the figure has been suppressed. a Omitted because less than half of the women in the subgroup have been married. 

5.1 Trends in Age at Marriage 

Trends over time in age at first marriage are analyzed here in terms of approximate birth cohorts. 

The trends can be inferred for periods of around 20 years from single surveys and for considerably longer 

periods of time from multiple surveys. In addition to the DHS surveys, the World Fertility Survey data 

have been used for those countries that also participated in the DHS program. For some countries, trends 

can be measured back to birth cohorts of the 1930s. The qualifying term “approximate” means that the 

five-year cohort specification for classifying women in different countries can be imprecise by as much as 

a calendar year or two in order to group them into a standard format ranging from 1935-39 to 1975-79. In 

cases where surveys were conducted close enough in time to produce overlapping cohorts, the estimates 

of the proportion married before age 20 for the same cohort are averaged across surveys. For some 

countries with multiple surveys, there are as many as four estimates for the same cohort. These data are 

shown in Appendix A. 

Trends in the proportion of women married before age 20 are shown in Figures 5.1-5.5 by region. 

Because so many DHS countries are in sub-Saharan Africa, the first three graphs focus on that region. 

The country codes are listed in Appendix B. The first graph includes the countries in western Africa that 

show evidence of increasing age at marriage (i.e., a declining proportion married before age 20), followed 

by a similar presentation for the countries of southern and eastern Africa, and then the sub-Saharan 

countries that show no evidence of a trend in age at marriage. The remaining three graphs show trends in 

the other regions. 

Age at marriage has increased in 21 of the 30 countries surveyed in sub-Saharan Africa. Only a 

short time ago, there was skepticism about whether any changes in age at marriage were occurring in that 

part of the world. Now the evidence is overwhelming that a major transition is underway in sub-Saharan 

Africa. The changes in western Africa are modest but convincing (Figure 5.1.1). At the beginning of the 

observation period (birth cohorts of the 1930s and 1940s), the countries are clustered in the range of 70 to 

90 percent of women married as teenagers. By the end of the period (birth cohorts of the 1970s) the range 

had dropped to between 50 and 70 percent. 

A pattern of decline is also evident in southern and eastern Africa (Figure 5.1.2) (HarwoodLejeune, 2000). In these countries, however, there is more diversity in the proportion of women who were 

married before age 20, and there are sharper declines in teenage marriage. Unlike countries in western 

Africa, quite a few of the countries in southern and eastern Africa now show less than 50 percent of 

women marrying before age 20. 
27

Figure 5.1.1 Countries in sub-Saharan Africa that show increases in age at marriage 

(declines in the percentage of women first married before age 20), 

by approximate birth cohorts: Western Africa 

1For country codes, see Appendix B

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1935-39 1940-44 1945-49 1950-54 1955-59 1960-64 1965-69 1970-74 1975-79

NI

SN

MT

CI

NG

GH

BJ

TG

GB

CM

ML

Figure 5.1.2 Countries in sub-Saharan Africa that show increases in age at marriage 

(declines in the percentage of women first married before age 20), 

by approximate birth cohorts: Southern and eastern Africa 

1

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1935-39 1940-44 1945-49 1950-54 1955-59 1960-64 1965-69 1970-74 1975-79

KE

SD

ET

TZ

KM

RW

NM

ZA

ZW

ZM

ER

 Note: For country codes, see Appendix B 
28

Figure 5.2 Countries in sub-Saharan Africa that show no increases in age at marriage 

(no declines in percentage of women first married before age 20), 

by approximate birth cohort 

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1935-39 1940-44 1945-49 1950-54 1955-59 1960-64 1965-69 1970-74 1975-79

MW MD

UG

BF

GN

MZ

CF

TD

Figure 5.3 Trends in the percentage of women first married before age 20, by 

approximate birth cohorts: Southern and southeastern Asia 

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1930-34 1935-39 1940-44 1945-49 1950-54 1955-59 1960-64 1965-69 1970-74 1975-79

BD

PK

ID

PH

KH

IA

NP

VN

 Note: For country codes, see Appendix B 
29

Figure 5.4 Trends in the percentage of women first married before age 20, by 

approximate birth cohorts: Northern Africa, central Asia, 

western Asia, and Europe 

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1930-34 1935-39 1940-44 1945-49 1950-54 1955-59 1960-64 1965-69 1970-74 1975-79

JO TR

EG

YE

MA

KR

UZ

KK

AM

TM

Figure 5.5 Trends in the percentage of women first married before age 20, 

by approximate birth cohorts: Latin America and Caribbean 

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1930-34 1935-39 1940-44 1945-49 1950-54 1955-59 1960-64 1965-69 1970-74 1975-79

DR

PY

CO BR

EC

PE

GU

HT

BO

NC

 Note: For country codes, see Appendix B 
30

In the remaining sub-Saharan countries the trend is mostly flat, with about 70 to 90 percent of 

women married before age 20 (Figure 5.2). They include some of the least developed countries in Africa: 

Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Guinea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, and Uganda. 

It is likely that increases in age at marriage will begin to appear in these countries in the near future. 

The proportion of women married before age 20 in southern and southeastern Asia is declining 

uniformly, although levels vary widely (Figure 5.3). The magnitude of decline for the most recent cohorts 

ranges from about 30 to 70 percent. Nonetheless, all the cohorts show increases in age at marriage. 

Indonesia, with estimates from five surveys, shows a striking monotonic decline in the proportion married 

before age 20, from 84 percent for the 1930-34 cohort to 47 percent for the 1975-79 cohort. Pakistan 

shows a similar steep decline in early marriages, but there are no recent data for that country. 

In other parts of Asia and in North Africa, there are several exceptions to the otherwise dominant 

pattern of declining proportions of teenagers getting married (Figure 5.4). In Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz 

Republic, and Uzbekistan, there has been a recent reversal of the downward trend. In Armenia, the earlier 

trend was toward younger marriages, but there has been a recent reversal. The other countries in this 

region all show declines in early marriage. Increasing age at marriage has long been observed in 

Morocco. In Jordan, only 22 percent of women in the most recent cohort have married by age 20, down 

from 75 percent 40 years earlier. 

The picture in Latin America and the Caribbean is a modest slope toward later marriage with little 

variation across the region (Figure 5.5). The increase in age at marriage probably started earlier in this 

part of the world (UN, 1990). The cohorts of the 1930s mostly show a concentration at 50 percent married 

before age 20 with movement toward 40 percent among the most recent cohorts. Although the trend 

toward later marriage can be seen in Nicaragua, the proportion marrying early is much higher in that 

country, with 60 percent of young women marrying by age 20. 

5.2 Trends in Age at Marriage by Residence and Education 

Increases in age at marriage are likely to be influenced by increases in both urban residence and 

level of education. It is therefore of interest to examine these trends separately in urban and rural areas, 

and also among women with no formal schooling. Figure 5.6 shows the trends in median age at marriage 

for women age 25-29 by urban-rural residence and no education. A younger age group would be desirable 

to detect the most recent trends, but in many countries the median age for women 20-24 had not yet been 

reached, a situation in urban areas in Morocco for women even for women age 25-29. 

In virtually all of the countries, there have been increases in the average age at marriage in both 

urban and rural areas. There seems to be some tendency for the increases in urban areas to be greater than 

in rural areas, but there are numerous exceptions; the more important observation is that women in both 

sectors of the population are marrying later. 

In 27 of the 34 countries examined here there have been recent increases in age at marriage 

among women with no education, although some of these increases have been small and within the range 

of sampling error. This suggests that there are more pervasive social changes underway that influence age 

at marriage beyond formal schooling. One of these influences is exposure to mass media, especially 

television. The correlation between regular exposure to television and the proportion of women married 

before age 20 (for women 20-24 across 49 countries) is moderately strong (-.53), but urban residence and 

education are also clearly involved. An earlier study of the impact of mass media on reproductive 

behavior showed significant associations with age at marriage in some sub-Saharan countries, an 

association that persisted with numerous covariates controlled (Westoff and Bankole, 1997). 
31

Figure 5.6 Trends in median age at first marriage for women age 25-29, 

by urban-rural residence and for women with no education 

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 

Benin 1996-2001 

19.7

18.2 18.2

21.6

19.4 19.3

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

Burkina Faso 1992-1993 - 1998-1999 

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

18.0

19.6

17.4 17.6 17.4 17.6

Cameroon 1991-1998

18.2

16.2

14.7

19.5

17.2

15.2

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

Côte d'Ivoire 1994 - 1998-1999

19.1

17.7 17.6

21.7

18.7 18.1

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

Eritrea 1995-2002

19.9

17.6 17.4

20.4

18 17.4

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

.0

Ghana 1988-1998

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

19.6

21.2

19.0

18.2 17.8

18.5

Kenya 1989-1998

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

19.9

21.6

18.3

19.7

16.0 16.6

Malawi 1992-2000

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

18.6 18.8

17.6 18.0

17.217.6
32

Figure 5.6—Continued 

Mali 1987-2001

16.3 15.8 15.8

18.6

16.3 16.4

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

Niger 1992-1998

15.7

14.8 15.1

16.6

15.2 15.3

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

Nigeria 1990-1999

19.9

16.3

15.2

20.6

17.8

15.3

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

Senegal 1986-1997

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

18.8

23.3

16.0

16.7 16.2

17.0

Tanzania 1992-1999

19.9

18.7

16.7

19.5

18.5 18.2

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

Togo 1988-1998

19.6

17.8 17.7

20.2

18.3 18.3

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

Uganda 1988 - 2000-2001

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

19.4 19.7

17.3 17.8

17.0 17.3

Zambia 1992-2002

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

18.4

18.9

17.6 18.0 17.4 17.4
33

Figure 5.6—Continued

Zimbabwe 1988-1999

19.4

18.5

17.2

20.7

19.3

16.5

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN ASIA 

Bangladesh 1993-1994 - 1999-2000

15.6

14.7 14.3

16.8

15.1 14.5

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

India 1992-1993 - 1998-1999

18.9

16.7 16.1

19.2

16.8

15.8

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

Indonesia 1987-1997

20.3

17.3 17.1

22.7

18.9

17.4

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

Nepal 1996-2001

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

18.0

19.1

16.4 16.9

16.1 16.6

Philippines 1993-1998

23.1

20.9

18.4

24.1

21.2

19.2

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26
34

Figure 5.6—Continued 

NORTHERN AFRICA/WESTERN ASIA/EUROPE 

Egypt 1988-1995

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

21.8

22.4

17.5

19.7

17.0

18.3

Jordan 1990-2002

21.8

19.9

18.7

23 23.2

22.2

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

Morocco 1987-1995

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

*

* Median age not yet reached

21.9

18.7

20.8

19.0

20.8

Turkey 1993-1998

20.3

19.5

17.8

20.6

19.8

17.7

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

Yemen 1991-1992 - 1997

17.6

15.9 15.9

17.8

16.3 16.2

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN 

Bolivia 1989-1998

20.2

19.5 19.7

21.5

19.6 20.2

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

Brazil 1986-1996

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

21.6 21.3

20.0 19.7 19.0

17.8
35

Figure 5.6—Continued 

Colombia 1986-2000

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

21.1

22.0

19.9 19.7

17.7

20.6

Dominican Republic 1986-2002

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

20.0

18.0

17.1

19.5

18.3

15.8

Guatemala 1987-1998/99

19.7

17.9 17.5

20.2

18.5 17.9

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

Haiti 1994-1995 - 2000

21.4

19.9

19.2

22.5

19

18.3

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

.0

Peru 1986-2000

Urban Rural No education 14

16

18

20

22

24

26

22.0

23.3

19.5 19.5

18.5 18.7

6 Men’s Age at Marriage 

The traditional picture of men marrying at later ages than women is clearly evident in the results 

of DHS surveys. The source of information used to estimate the magnitude of this difference and its 

international variability is the interview data collected from male surveys in 33 countries, mostly in subSaharan Africa, and comparisons with the survey data from women in the same countries. Although these 

surveys frequently included the husbands of women also interviewed in the DHS surveys, they are 

designed primarily to yield nationally representative samples of men in general. 

Table 6.1 shows the median age at first marriage for men by age at the time of the interview (age 

30-34 is the youngest age category in which the median age at marriage had been reached in all of the 

countries). The oldest median age at marriage for men 30-34 is 30.0 years in Senegal, and the youngest is 

22.3 years in Uganda. Most of these countries show the average age at marriage for men in the 23-26 year 

age range. That range also encompasses the values for the nine countries outside of sub-Saharan Africa. 
36

Table 6.1 Median age at first marriage for men 25-59, by current age, Demographic and Health Surveys, 1990-2002 

 Current age 

 Country 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 

Benin 1996 25.0 23.6 24.6 23.6 25.4 25.0 25.3 

Burkina Faso 1998-1999 a 25.2 24.4 25.4 25.7 24.3 26.0 

Cameroon 1998 a 25.1 25.3 24.7 24.6 26.0 25.3 

Central African Republic 1994-1995 23.3 23.2 24.2 22.9 26.5 24.9 27.2 

Chad 1996-1997 22.7 22.5 22.4 23.0 22.8 22.3 23.8 

Comoros 1996 a 25.6 26.6 26.0 27.4 30.0 30.2 

Côte d'Ivoire 1998-1999 a 26.3 25.3 24.6 27.6 22.8 25.5 

Eritrea 1995 24.7 23.6 25.3 26.0 24.3 25.0 24.8 

Ethiopia 2000 23.2 24.3 22.9 23.7 21.8 24.0 23.8 

Gabon 2000 24.7 24.2 24.9 22.9 24.8 23.7 25.9 

Guinea 1999 a 26.1 25.5 26.8 26.8 26.2 26.1 

Kenya 1998 a 25.0 24.2 24.2 24.8 24.1 na 

Malawi 2000 22.7 22.9 22.9 22.3 22.7 23.3 na 

Mali 1995-1996 24.5 25.6 26.0 25.8 25.8 25.7 25.6 

Mozambique 1997 21.2 22.4 21.0 22.3 22.9 26.0 23.1 

Niger 1998 22.5 22.8 21.4 21.2 22.5 21.9 22.1 

Nigeria 1999 a 25.6 25.7 24.8 26.3 25.8 26.9 

Rwanda 1992 23.1 23.8 22.6 23.1 22.5 23.5 25.1 

Senegal 1997 a 30.0 28.5 26.2 26.5 26.5 27.3 

Tanzania 1996 24.4 24.4 25.3 24.5 24.6 24.0 27.6 

Togo 1998 a 24.6 24.5 24.5 25.4 25.7 25.5 

Uganda 2000-2001 21.9 22.3 22.7 22.6 21.9 22.8 na 

Zambia 2001-2002 23.2 23.0 23.5 22.5 23.6 23.5 23.9 

Zimbabwe 1999 24.3 24.3 25.4 24.1 24.7 24.6 na 

 

NORTHERN AFRICA/ 

WESTERN ASIA/EUROPE 

Armenia 2000 24.9 24.7 25.2 24.1 24.4 24.7 na 

Turkey 1998 23.5 24.0 24.0 22.9 22.9 24.1 24.4 

 

CENTRAL ASIA 

Kazakhstan 1999 23.7 23.7 23.1 23.5 22.9 23.2 24.5 

SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN ASIA 

Pakistan 1990-1991 21.8 23.0 23.6 24.8 24.3 23.0 24.7 

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN 

Brazil 1996 24.3 23.7 24.0 24.0 24.3 24.9 24.3 

Dominican Republic 2002 22.3 22.7 23.3 23.5 23.4 24.4 25.4 

Haiti 2000 a 26.0 26.4 24.5 25.6 25.2 25.2 

Nicaragua 1997-1998 21.2 22.2 21.7 22.5 22.0 23.3 24.6 

Peru 1996 a 24.2 25.3 25.0 23.4 25.4 25.2 

na = Not applicable 

a

 Omitted because less than half of the men in the subgroup have been married 

Examining the trends in men’s age at marriage by comparing the medians for the oldest men with 

those for the youngest does not show any clear pattern. Unlike the increasing age at marriage trend for 

women in many countries, there does not seem to be such a change underway for men, at least not in this 

sample of countries. 

Without exception, in sub-Saharan Africa men age 30-34 marry later in urban areas than in rural 

areas (Table 6.2). In other regions there are some exceptions: in Kazakhstan, men in rural areas marry 

slightly later than their urban counerparts (23.7 years versus 23.0 years); and in Brazil and Nicaragua 

there is almost no difference in median age at marriage between men in urban areas and men in rural 

areas. 
37

Table 6.2 Median age at first marriage for men 30-34, by urban-rural residence and level of education, 

Demographic and Health Surveys, 1990-2001 

 Level of education 

Residence 

 Country Urban Rural 

No 

education Primary 

Secondary

or higher 

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 

Benin 2001 25.6 23.3 22.1 24.8 25.5 

Burkina Faso 1998-1999 27.6 24.8 24.9 24.6 * 

Cameroon 1998 27.8 23.6 22.3 24.6 26.1 

Central African Republic 1994-1995 24.9 22.2 23.4 21.8 24.1 

Chad 1996-1997 * 22.3 22.3 23.3 23.7 

Comoros 1996 27.0 25.4 25.0 26.0 26.2 

Côte d'Ivoire 1998-1999 27.3 25.8 25.8 25.2 27.3 

Eritrea 1995 26.2 22.8 23.2 21.7 26.0 

Ethiopia 2000 26.3 23.7 23.4 23.8 25.7 

Gabon 2000 24.4 22.0 24.9 21.9 24.1 

Guinea 1999 29.7 23.6 24.3 27.9 29.1 

Kenya 1998 25.6 24.6 24.3 23.7 25.7 

Malawi 2000 25.1 22.3 22.4 22.0 25.8 

Mali 2001 29.8 * 24.8 24.0 29.8 

Mauritania 2000-2001 28.4 25.7 23.9 26.4 28.1 

Mozambique 1997 24.4 21.5 22.9 21.0 26.1 

Niger 1998 26.5 22.2 22.0 22.9 28.2 

Nigeria 1999 28.0 25.1 24.7 25.5 25.9 

Rwanda 1992 27.0 23.6 23.3 24.2 25.3 

Tanzania 1999 24.9 23.2 22.6 23.5 28.1 

Togo 1998 26.9 23.3 23.7 24.4 25.9 

Uganda 2000-2001 24.7 22.1 20.9 22.2 23.3 

Zambia 1996 24.4 22.7 22.8 22.6 23.8 

Zimbabwe 1999 24.8 23.8 21.0 22.7 24.6 

 

NORTHERN AFRICA/ 

WESTERN ASIA/EUROPE 

Armenia 2000 25.6 24.0 * * 24.7 

Turkey 1998 24.4 22.6 22.8 23.7 24.2 

 

CENTRAL ASIA 

Kazakhstan 1999 23.0 23.7 * 23.6 23.9 

SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN ASIA 

Bangladesh 1996-1997 26.3 22.6 22.4 22.9 24.8 

Nepal 2001 22.0 19.8 19.9 19.3 21.5 

Pakistan 1990-1991 24.0 22.6 22.5 21.3 25.2 

 

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN 

Bolivia 1998 23.4 23.0 19.5 22.1 23.8 

Brazil 1996 23.7 23.6 23.3 22.3 24.5 

Dominican Republic 1999 24.9 24.3 21.8 22.8 26.4 

Haiti 2000 27.7 25.2 23.4 25.8 26.8 

Nicaragua 1997-1998 22.3 22.1 21.6 22.2 22.4 

Peru 1996 25.0 22.1 22.4 21.7 25.3 

Note: An asterisk indicates that there are fewer than 25 unweighted cases in the subgroup and the figure 

has been suppressed. 

As with women, the direct correlation between age at marriage and education is also evident for 

men, but there are many more exceptions to the general pattern than for the urban-rural association. 
38

6.1 Spouse Differences in Age at Marriage 

Because women’s age at marriage is increasing at the same time that men’s age at marriage 

remains relatively unchanged, one would expect the age difference between spouses to decrease. This 

phenomenon can be examined by simply comparing the age cohort trend lines for women and men in 

general or by studying trends in age differences between spouses. We have already seen that intercohort 

age at marriage has increased for women while remaining largely unchanged for men. For a selection of 

countries that collected information on the male partner’s age, we looked directly at the age difference 

between current spouses. The measure is confined to currently and once-married women, which probably 

produces some selective biases toward a convergence of spouses’ ages, but the evidence indicates a strong 

trend toward convergence of husbands’ and wives’ ages. Such a trend was observed earlier in an analysis 

of 28 countries that had participated in the World Fertility Survey (Casterline, Williams, and McDonald, 

1986). To assess the trend over time, these differences are shown in Table 6.3 by duration of union, 

although the higher durations are problematic because they are less likely to be confined to once-married 

men. The average difference in the ages of spouses shows a decline in three out of four of the sub-Saharan 

countries surveyed. For example, in the 2001 survey in Benin, couples married 30 or more years had an 

age difference of 10.7 years while couples in their first five years of marriage show an average age 

difference of 7.5 years. In many of these countries, the decline in the average age difference between 

spouses is about three years over the generation. Sub-Saharan countries in which no trends are discernible 

include Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Rwanda. If the focus is 

confined to women whose duration of marriage extends only to 10-14 years, a trend toward convergence 

is evident for about half of the sub-Saharan countries. 

The average age differences for the shortest marriage duration categories vary considerably 

across sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from 5 and 13 years. The differences are much smaller in countries 

outside of sub-Saharan Africa except in Bangladesh where the average is still 9 years. There is also a 

substantial difference in ages (6.8 years) between spouses in Egypt. In the Latin American/Caribbean 

countries, the difference in ages ranges from 3 to 6 years. 

There is evidence of increasing similarity of age at marriage among spouses in only a few 

countries outside of sub-Saharan Africa: India, Nepal, the Philippines, and Turkmenistan. In the Latin 

American/Caribbean countries, such a trend can be seen in the Dominican Republic and Peru, and 

possibly in Colombia and Guatemala. 

The social significance of a trend toward greater similarity of age at marriage and thus throughout 

the union is not clear. Closer age between spouses may promote more gender equality (Abadian, 1996). 

On the other hand, older husbands may be better providers. Since the primary demographic reason for the 

increasing convergence of spousal age at marriage is the increase in age at marriage among women, the 

major expectation would seem to be the advantages accruing to women from postponing childbearing. 
39

Table 6.3 Mean age difference between spouses by number of years since marriage (currently married couples with wife 

married only once, Demographic and Health Surveys, 1990-2001 

Duration (years) of union 

Country 0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30+ 

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 

Benin 2001 7.5 8.5 9.4 8.5 10.5 11.5 10.7 

Burkina Faso 1999 11.3 10.0 10.9 11.4 12.2 11.4 10.1 

Cameroon 1998 9.6 10.0 10.2 10.8 10.7 13.0 11.8 

Central African Republic 1994 7.0 6.9 7.2 6.7 7.7 7.5 6.8 

Chad 1997 9.8 10.3 10.8 11.3 11.1 11.7 12.4 

Comoros 1996 9.2 10.6 10.9 10.5 11.2 11.2 12.3 

Ethiopia 2000 7.7 7.9 8.8 8.4 8.9 9.4 10.9 

Ghana 1998-1999 6.7 7.6 8.0 8.4 9.2 9.7 9.5 

Guinea 1999 13.3 14.1 14.1 13.9 14.6 13.7 13.8 

Kenya 1998 6.7 6.9 6.6 7.5 7.4 8.0 9.2 

Madagascar 1997 5.2 5.6 5.4 5.7 5.6 6.4 5.8 

Malawi 2000 5.1 5.3 5.8 6.0 6.6 6.2 5.6 

Mali 2001 11.5 11.4 11.8 11.8 12.3 12.1 12.5 

Mozambique 1997 6.6 8.1 6.8 7.4 9.9 8.4 8.3 

Niger 1998 10.2 10.5 9.6 10.0 10.4 10.0 9.6 

Nigeria 1999 10.0 10.6 11.2 12.1 12.1 12.8 12.5 

Rwanda 2001 5.7 5.4 5.8 5.0 4.7 4.4 5.7 

Tanzania 1996 8.4 8.0 8.4 8.6 9.1 9.0 9.9 

Togo 1998 7.8 7.7 8.8 9.1 10.0 10.5 10.2 

Zambia 1996 6.1 6.5 6.8 7.1 8.3 8.5 8.9 

Zimbabwe 1999 6.8 6.8 8.0 7.7 8.8 9.1 10.6 

 

NORTHERN AFRICA/WESTERN 

ASIA/EUROPE 

 

Armenia 2000 4.9 5.0 4.2 3.4 3.5 4.5 6.7 

Egypt 2000 6.8 6.9 6.8 6.9 7.1 7.4 8.4 

Turkey 1998 4.2 4.3 4.2 3.9 4.5 4.6 6.0 

 

CENTRAL ASIA 

Kazakhstan 1999 3.5 2.5 2.5 2.0 2.7 2.9 5.2 

Kyrgyzstan 1997 3.8 3.0 3.1 2.6 3.0 4.9 6.6 

Turkmenistan 2000 1.3 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.9 3.2 4.5 

Uzbekistan 1996 3.3 2.9 2.9 2.8 3.7 4.5 4.9 

 

SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN ASIA 

Bangladesh 1999-2000 9.1 9.3 8.9 9.0 9.0 9.8 11.2 

India 1998-1999 5.7 5.9 6.0 6.0 6.3 6.7 7.0 

Nepal 2001 4.0 4.1 4.3 4.4 4.9 5.1 5.9 

Philippines 1998 2.9 2.9 2.9 3.0 3.3 3.6 5.4 

 

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN 

Bolivia 1998 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.5 3.4 3.9 5.0 

Brazil 1996 4.6 4.0 3.9 4.0 4.9 4.8 6.3 

Colombia 2000 4.5 4.3 4.3 5.0 5.5 6.3 8.0 

Dominican Rep. 1996 5.6 5.5 5.8 6.4 6.7 7.1 8.0 

Guatemala 1999 3.4 3.5 4.3 3.6 4.4 5.2 5.9 

Haiti 2000 6.1 6.0 6.0 5.3 5.3 6.3 6.9 

Nicaragua 1997 4.8 4.7 5.0 4.5 5.1 5.8 6.1 

Peru 2000 3.6 3.8 3.8 4.1 4.6 5.2 6.6 
40

7 Age at First Birth 

There is a strong correlation between age at first marriage for women and age at first birth. Thus, 

it can be expected that the same countries are likely to be in the same categories with respect to levels and 

trends in age at first birth as age at first marriage. The reason for treating the subject separately here is 

that the focus is more on the implications of reproductive behavior for population growth. There is also 

the possibility that the dating of age at first birth, although not without its shortcomings (Casterline, 

1980), is more reliable than the dating of age at first union. For age at first birth, as with age at first 

marriage, we relied on two measures: the proportion of women who had their first birth before age 20 and 

the median age of women at the time of their first birth. The same “approximate” cohort procedures were 

used with age at first birth as with age at first marriage (see estimated statistics shown in Appendix A). 

The proportion of women who had a first birth before age 20 is shown by current age in Table 

7.1. The most current statistics on age at first birth are for women age 20-24. In sub-Saharan Africa, the 

lowest level in this age group is found in the Sudan (26 percent), estimated from the 1990 survey. This is 

a country that experienced a dramatic decline in early marriage and childbearing as can be seen by 

comparing early and later cohorts. The highest values in sub-Saharan Africa, around 70 percent, are found 

in Chad, Niger and Uganda. These correspond to a median age at first birth in the 20-24 age group of 

about 18.4. Levels of early childbearing are much lower in the countries outside of sub-Saharan Africa, 

with the exception of some of the least developed countries—Bangladesh, Nepal, and Nicaragua. Aside 

from Nicaragua, the proportion of women age 20-24 in Latin America and the Caribbean who had their 

first birth before age 20 is between 30 and 45 percent. 
41

Table 7.1 Percentage of women age 20-44 who had their first birth before age 20, by current age, various surveys, 

1990-2002 

 Age of woman 

Country 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 

Benin 2001 45.0 48.4 52.7 53.3 53.6 

Burkina Faso 1998-1999 62.0 62.4 61.6 56.2 60.1 

Cameroon 1998 54.3 61.7 65.9 58.6 58.3 

Central African Republic 1994-1995 61.3 57.0 56.2 51.8 58.7 

Chad 1996-1997 71.0 68.5 64.1 65.6 63.7 

Comoros 1996 28.5 33.7 43.4 43.5 49.8 

Côte d'Ivoire 1998-1999 55.7 56.4 57.9 61.6 62.4 

Eritrea 2002 42.4 44.3 42.7 32.1 32.4 

Ethiopia 2000 43.6 48.9 65.9 57.8 69.2 

Gabon 2000 58.4 64.5 64.3 64.7 69.7 

Ghana 1998 40.6 40.8 49.6 46.2 50.7 

Guinea 1999 66.2 64.6 65.3 54.6 61.8 

Kenya 1998 46.3 53.6 56.5 58.1 63.4 

Madagascar 1997 56.6 51.7 50.7 60.1 57.8 

Malawi 2000 61.7 60.9 65.2 62.4 62.6 

Mali 2001 67.4 66.7 65.6 58.8 57.2 

Mauritania 2000-2001 34.7 41.2 48.2 48.2 49.2 

Mozambique 1997 65.4 62.9 58.1 55.9 58.0 

Namibia 1992 41.6 38.9 44.5 39.6 37.9 

Niger 1998 70.2 73.2 75.7 73.9 69.6 

Nigeria 1999 42.8 46.5 48.8 50.8 54.5 

Rwanda 2000 30.9 27.2 26.1 27.8 26.1 

Senegal 1997 43.1 46.3 55.0 55.8 53.6 

South Africa 1998 40.1 40.4 48.0 42.4 39.5 

Sudan 1990 26.2 36.3 44.8 53.6 60.5 

Tanzania 1999 56.2 56.2 62.5 59.3 72.7 

Togo 1998 38.3 49.5 51.4 48.1 48.3 

Uganda 2000-2001 70.0 64.7 68.9 63.8 65.9 

Zambia 2001-2002 60.9 62.5 65.0 69.1 70.9 

Zimbabwe 1999 47.6 47.0 46.5 61.2 52.2 

NORTHERN AFRICA/WESTERN ASIA/EUROPE 

Armenia 2000 25.5 33.5 30.6 23.9 22.1 

Egypt 2000 24.0 27.8 35.4 38.7 38.6 

Jordan 2002 12.7 20.4 20.9 24.0 31.9 

Morocco 1995 16.7 20.2 27.2 30.4 36.1 

Yemen 1997 45.1 57.8 57.7 56.6 51.1 

CENTRAL ASIA 

Kazakhstan 1999 22.1 24.4 19.7 17.2 18.0 

Kyrgyz Republic 1997 36.6 23.3 21.3 19.6 24.0 

Turkmenistan 2000 14.5 12.8 10.0 10.1 18.9 

Uzbekistan 1996 25.3 27.4 22.9 26.1 28.7 

SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN ASIA 

Bangladesh 1999-2000 61.3 66.4 71.8 69.8 76.1 

Cambodia 2000 28.7 32.5 26.6 32.7 21.7 

India 1998-1999 47.1 54.4 57.3 56.5 58.0 

Indonesia 1997 31.4 35.4 43.6 47.5 44.7 

Nepal 2001 51.2 54.1 51.5 50.1 50.1 

Pakistan 1990-1991 30.5 42.1 41.7 38.2 37.4 

Philippines 1998 20.5 20.1 24.3 22.6 26.4 

Vietnam 1997 18.9 19.8 18.9 15.8 13.6 

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN 

Bolivia 1998 36.1 40.3 36.8 38.5 32.0 

Brazil 1996 32.0 34.5 31.3 29.7 28.8 

Colombia 2000 35.5 36.4 29.5 32.2 33.3 

Dominican Republic 2002 43.7 45.3 42.6 39.5 45.4 

Ecuador 19991 36.8 35.9 36.8 38.6 40.4 

El Salvador 19982 42.6 44.7 43.9 49.1 47.9 

Guatemala 1998-1999 44.9 47.3 47.2 48.1 50.6 

Haiti 2000 31.3 37.4 34.3 36.7 36.7 

Nicaragua 2001 47.9 53.7 54.7 53.9 56.2 

Paraguay 1995-19963 40.7 39.5 40.6 33.0 36.7 

Peru 2000 30.1 32.4 33.3 36.6 35.0 

1 Based on 1999 CDC survey 

2 Based on 1998 CDC survey 

3 Based on 1995-96 CDC survey 
42

For the large majority of countries, the median age at first birth is higher in urban than in rural 

areas (Table 7.2). With few exceptions, age at first birth increases with level of education. In other recent 

analyses of eight sub-Saharan countries (Gupta and Mahy, 2002; Mahy and Gupta, 2002), education 

beyond the primary level appears to exert the most important influence on age at first birth. The 

mechanisms through which education affects fertility are complex and not known with any precision 

(Basu, 2002). 

Table 7.2. Median age at first birth for women 25-49 by urban-rural residence and level of education, Demographic and 

Health Surveys, 1990-2002 

 Level of education 

 Residence 

Country Urban Rural 

No 

education Primary 

Secondary 

or higher Total 

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 

Benin 2001 20.7 19.4 19.3 20.4 24.1 19.9 

Burkina Faso 1998-1999 19.8 19.2 19.2 19.0 23.3 19.3 

Cameroon 1998 19.4 18.9 18.7 18.7 19.9 19.0 

Central African Republic 1994-1995 18.7 19.9 19.8 18.7 19.1 19.4 

Chad 1996-1997 18.5 18.3 18.3 18.5 19.7 18.3 

Comoros 1996 22.2 20.7 20.3 21.0 * 21.0 

Côte d’Ivoire 1998-1999 19.3 18.8 18.9 18.7 20.6 19.0 

Eritrea 2002 22.0 21.0 21.1 20.9 24.6 21.4 

Ethiopia 2000 20.0 18.9 18.8 19.8 22.9 19.0 

Gabon 2000 18.7 17.8 19.7 17.9 18.8 18.5 

Ghana 1998 21.0 20.0 19.7 20.0 21.0 20.3 

Guinea 1999 19.4 18.5 18.5 19.0 21.0 18.8 

Kenya 1998 20.7 19.1 18.2 18.7 21.6 19.4 

Madagascar 1997 20.8 19.1 18.5 18.8 21.8 19.5 

Malawi 2000 19.4 19.0 18.9 18.9 21.6 19.1 

Mali 2001 19.4 18.7 18.6 18.9 22.2 18.9 

Mauritania 2000-2001 20.6 20.7 19.8 21.2 24.2 20.7 

Mozambique 1997 19.0 19.2 19.0 19.1 21.8 19.2 

Namibia 1992 20.8 21.3 20.3 20.4 22.7 21.0 

Nigeria 1999 21.0 19.7 18.7 19.8 23.2 20.1 

Rwanda 2000 22.3 22.0 21.5 22.0 23.5 22.0 

Senegal 1997 21.0 19.0 19.2 20.7 23.6 19.8 

South Africa 1998 21.3 20.1 19.8 19.7 21.5 20.8 

Sudan 1990 21.5 20.0 19.2 20.4 * 20.5 

Tanzania 1999 19.5 18.9 18.1 19.1 23.4 19.0 

Togo 1998 20.8 19.7 19.8 19.8 22.0 20.1 

Uganda 2000-2001 19.3 18.7 18.4 18.5 20.4 18.7 

Zambia 2001-2002 19.0 18.6 18.2 18.4 20.0 18.7 

Zimbabwe 1999 20.5 19.6 18.8 19.2 21.1 19.9 

NORTHERN AFRICA/WESTERN 

ASIA/EUROPE

 

Armenia 2000 22.4 21.0 * * 21.8 21.8 

Egypt 2000 23.1 20.4 19.8 20.6 24.3 21.6 

Jordan 2002 23.6 23.0 20.8 21.4 21.9 23.5 

Morocco 1995 24.8 21.5 21.4 23.4 * 22.7 

Turkey 1998 21.7 20.7 19.6 20.8 24.4 21.3 

Yemen 1997 19.3 19.5 19.3 19.1 23.8 19.5 

CENTRAL ASIA 

Kazakhstan 1999 22.5 22.2 * * 22.4 22.4 

Kyrgyz Republic 1997 22.2 21.5 * * 21.7 21.7 

Turkmenistan 2000 22.7 23.0 22.7 21.4 22.9 22.9 

Uzbekistan 1996 22.2 21.2 * * 21.6 21.6 

SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN ASIA 

Bangladesh 1999-2000 18.6 17.6 17.3 17.5 19.7 17.8 

Cambodia 2000 22.6 21.7 21.6 21.7 23.3 21.9 

India 1998-1999 20.6 19.0 18.4 19.0 21.4 19.4 

Indonesia 1997 22.3 20.2 19.6 19.8 23.6 20.8 

Nepal 2001 20.2 19.9 19.8 19.8 21.0 19.9 

Pakistan 1990-1991 21.3 21.3 20.7 20.7 22.1 21.3 

Philippines 1998 24.3 22.2 20.5 21.1 24.5 23.3 

Vietnam 1997 * 22.7 22.4 21.9 23.5 23.1 

 Continued...
43

Table 7.2—Continued

 Level of education 

 Residence 

Country Urban Rural 

No 

education Primary 

Secondary 

or higher Total 

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN 

Bolivia 1998 21.8 20.8 21.0 20.3 22.7 21.5 

Brazil 1996 22.6 21.4 20.0 20.9 23.9 22.4 

Colombia 2000 22.5 20.7 19.4 20.3 23.7 22.1 

Dominican Republic 2002 21.1 20.2 18.5 19.2 24.6 20.8 

Guatemala 1998-1999 21.0 19.7 19.1 20.0 22.8 20.3 

Haiti 2000 23.3 21.0 20.6 21.4 * 21.9 

Nicaragua 2001 20.2 18.7 18.0 18.8 21.4 19.6 

Paraguay 1990 22.8 20.5 19.7 20.8 24.4 21.7 

Peru 2000 22.8 20.3 19.6 19.9 23.8 21.9 

Note: An asterisk indicates that there are fewer than 25 unweighted cases in the subgroup and the figure has been 

suppressed. 

7.1 Trends in Age at First Birth 

Following the trend toward later marriage, the proportion of women having their first birth before 

age 20 is likewise declining, at least since the experience of the birth cohorts of the 1940s. Among the 30 

sub-Saharan countries in this review, 17 show recent trends in this direction (Figures 7.1.1 and 7.1.2); 13 

show no trend; and in a few instances (Rwanda, Madagascar, and Eritrea), more women are having their 

first birth before age 20 than in the past (Figure 7.2). 

Almost all of the countries surveyed in southern and southeastern Asia show a trend toward later 

childbearing (Figure 7.3). Vietnam and Cambodia show no change, but they had already reached low 

levels of early childbearing, and Nepal does not show any trend. Some of the changes in the other 

countries in this region are substantial: in Indonesia, for example, the proportion giving birth before age 

20 has declined from nearly 60 percent for the 1930-34 cohort to 30 percent for the most recent cohort 

(1975-79). Bangladesh has the highest proportion of women giving birth before age 20, but beginning 

with the 1945-49 cohort (women who were age 15-19 in the 1960s), there has been a steady decline in 

this indicator from nearly 90 percent to 60 percent for the 1975-79 cohort (women who were teenagers in 

the 1990s). 

Again, with few exceptions (notably Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic), trends in age at first 

birth in northern Africa, central Asia, western Asia, and Europe are toward later childbearing, with less 

than 30 percent of women giving birth in their teens in most countries (Figure 7.4). The most recent 

cohort in Jordan now shows only 13 percent with a first birth before age 20, in contrast to around 50 

percent as recently as the cohorts of the 1940s. 

In Latin America and the Caribbean age at first birth follows a pattern similar to that of age at 

first union and, with few exceptions, there has been little change over nearly half a century of cohorts 

(Figure 7.5). Levels of both age at first birth and age at marriage are similar and concentrated in the 30-40 

percent range. 
44

Figure 7.1.1 Countries in sub-Saharan Africa that show increases in age at first birth 

(declines in the percentage of women who had their first birth before age 20), by 

approximate birth cohorts: Western Africa 

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1935-39 1940-44 1945-49 1950-54 1955-59 1960-64 1965-69 1970-74 1975-79

SN GB

CI

GH

CM

NG

MT

TG

BJ

ML

Figure 7.1.2 Countries in sub-Saharan Africa that show increases in age at first birth 

(declines in the percentage of women who had their first birth before age 20), by 

approximate birth cohorts: Southern and eastern Africa 

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1935-39 1940-44 1945-49 1950-54 1955-59 1960-64 1965-69 1970-74 1975-79

ZM

TZ

KE

ZW

SD

ET

KM
45

Figure 7.2 Countries in sub-Saharan Africa that show either no trend or increases in 

the percentage of women who had their first birth before age 20, 

by approximate birth cohorts 

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1935-39 1940-44 1945-49 1950-54 1955-59 1960-64 1965-69 1970-74 1975-79

UG

NI TD

MZ MW CF

MD

NM

RW

ER

SA

BF

GN

Figure 7.3 Trends in the percentage of women who had their first birth before age 20, 

by approximate birth cohorts: Southern and southeastern Asia 

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1930-34 1935-39 1940-44 1945-49 1950-54 1955-59 1960-64 1965-69 1970-74 1975-79

BD

ID

NP PH

VN

KH

IA

PK
46

Figure 7.4 Trends in the percentage of women who had their first birth before age 20, 

by approximate birth cohorts: Northern Africa, central Asia, western Asia, and Europe 

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1930-34 1935-39 1940-44 1945-49 1950-54 1955-59 1960-64 1965-69 1970-74 1975-79

MA

EG JO

UZ

KR

KK

YE

TR

TM

AM

Figure 7.5 Trends in the percentage of women who had their first birth before age 20, 

by approximate birth cohorts: Latin America and Caribbean 

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1930-34 1935-39 1940-44 1945-49 1950-54 1955-59 1960-64 1965-69 1970-74 1975-79

DR

GU

EC

CO PE

BO

PY

BR HT

NC
47

8 Summary and Conclusions 

The last two decades of the twentieth century have witnessed dramatic demographic changes all 

over the world. In the developed world, there has been a rapid acceleration of the fertility transition with 

historic low levels of childbearing accompanied by postponement of marriage and increases in informal 

cohabitation and out-of-wedlock childbearing. In the developing world the changes have been equally 

dramatic but highly variable within and between world regions. This report documents these changes 

primarily in the area of nuptiality and early childbearing. The report covers 59 countries, half of which are 

in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Even the simple descriptive measure current marital status varies widely among countries, 

ranging from 40 percent to over 80 percent among women age 15-49 who are currently in union. Informal 

unions are increasingly prevalent, as evidenced by comparisons in countries with multiple surveys. 

The stability of unions is measured crudely here by the proportion of ever-married women still in 

their first union and by the proportion of women married more than once. By both measures, marital 

stability is lowest in sub-Saharan Africa and highest in the Asian and North African countries. 

Polygyny remains prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, with about one-third of currently married 

women in a union with at least one co-wife. However, evidence from countries with multiple surveys 

suggests that the prevalence of polygyny is diminishing. It remains more common in rural areas and 

among the least educated women. 

Teenage pregnancy and fertility, especially among the youngest teenagers, is highest in subSaharan Africa and in Bangladesh (where women marry very early). It is strongly associated with lower 

levels of education and is higher in rural areas than in urban areas. Trends in teenage pregnancy and 

childbearing are mixed and, in a few Latin American countries, there are indications of recent increases in 

teen pregnancy and childbearing because of declines in age at first sex. 

Age at first marriage is increasing in most of the sub-Saharan countries examined here. This is a 

very recent phenomenon in that part of the world and is partly responsible for the beginnings of the 

fertility transition there. The average age at marriage is increasing in southern and southeastern Asia as 

well as in Northern Africa. In central Asia, however, there have been some reversals, and in Latin 

America and the Caribbean, the trend toward later marriage has been modest. In general, the trend toward 

later marriage has occurred in both rural and urban areas and, in many countries, even among women 

with no formal schooling. Exposure to mass media, particularly television, plays a role in the trend toward 

later marriage, and has contributed to increases in age at marriage among women with no education. 

The trend toward later marriage has been restricted to women; there is little evidence of 

accompanying increases in men’s age at marriage. One result of this phenomenon is that there has been 

substantial narrowing of the age difference between spouses. 

The increase in women’s age at marriage is reflected in the increase in age at first birth. Slightly 

more than half of the sub-Saharan countries reviewed show an increase in the age at first birth. In the 

other regions, the increases are both uniform and substantial; although in the Latin America and 

Caribbean countries little change is evident. 
48

References 

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analysis. In Proceedings of Demographic and Health Surveys World Conference 2: 947-964. 

Basu, A.M. 2002. Why does education lead to lower fertility? A critical review of some of the 

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presented at the Conference on Public Policy and the Future of the Family, Syracuse University, 

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Mahy, M. and N. Gupta. 2002. Trends and differentials in adolescent reproductive behavior in subSaharan Africa. DHS Analytical Studies No.3. Calverton, Maryland: ORC Macro. 

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McCarthy, J. 1982. Differentials in age at first marriage. International Statistical Institute and World 

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Stycos, J.M. 1968. Consensual unions and fertility. In Human fertility in Latin America: Sociological 

perspective, ed. J.M. Stycos, 202-214. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press. 

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49

Appendix A. Percentage of women who married before age 20 (M) and 

percentage who had their first birth before age 20 (B), by birth cohort 

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 

Benin 

Burkina 

Faso Cameroon 

Central 

African 

Republic Chad Comoros 

Birth cohort 

(approximate) M B M B M B M B M B M B 

1935-39 70 46 

1940-44 70 50 

1945-49 71 58 77 58 

1950-54 71 57 88 58 79 62 81 59 69 50 

1955-59 71 55 87 60 77 61 65 52 87 64 67 44 

1960-64 65 55 86 61 73 62 75 56 86 66 62 43 

1965-69 64 53 85 62 72 66 75 57 85 64 47 34 

1970-74 62 49 84 62 67 62 74 61 86 69 40 29 

1975-79 59 45 84 62 61 54 86 71 

Côte d’Ivoire Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Ghana Guinea 

Birth cohort 

(approximate) M B M B M B M B M B M B 

1935-39 71 61 68 48 

1940-44 77 67 72 54 

1945-49 77 61 74 57 

1950-54 69 60 75 34 68 52 

1955-59 66 62 63 33 91 69 58 70 67 52 82 62 

1960-64 65 63 65 38 85 58 56 65 63 50 79 55 

1965-69 65 62 68 42 85 66 50 64 62 49 81 65 

1970-74 55 60 66 45 71 49 47 65 57 45 82 65 

1975-79 49 56 63 42 65 44 49 58 56 41 79 66 

Kenya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mozambique 

Birth cohort 

(approximate) M B M B M B M B M B M B 

1935-39 73 56 83 50 

1940-44 75 62 84 58 

1945-49 75 65 69 57 90 62 82 65 

1950-54 69 63 70 60 73 60 90 59 80 60 

1955-59 66 64 64 58 79 66 90 62 73 52 76 58 

1960-64 64 62 65 60 76 64 86 59 71 48 81 56 

1965-69 54 58 58 52 76 64 86 64 67 48 72 58 

1970-74 47 53 57 52 76 61 82 68 56 41 74 63 

1975-79 46 46 61 57 73 62 81 57 50 35 78 65 
50

Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Senegal 

South 

Africa 

Birth cohort 

(approximate) M B M B M B M B M B M B 

1935-39 70 41 88 69 

1940-44 79 52 48 90 73 

1945-49 77 54 57 88 67 

1950-54 28 38 94 63 75 54 60 36 79 60 

1955-59 26 40 95 68 74 58 57 31 78 61 30 40 

1960-64 25 45 95 73 68 52 43 28 73 59 30 42 

1965-69 20 39 92 75 66 51 38 25 70 58 27 48 

1970-74 20 42 90 74 58 47 38 27 58 52 20 40 

1975-79 85 70 53 43 42 31 51 43 14 40 

Sudan Tanzania Togo Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe 

Birth cohort 

(approximate) M B M B M B M B M B M B 

1935-39 74 47 

1940-44 77 52 

1945-49 78 60 75 67 69 58 83 69 81 68 69 57 

1950-54 73 54 74 68 66 55 79 69 80 73 62 53 

1955-59 57 43 74 67 66 56 77 69 76 72 66 56 

1960-64 47 36 65 59 64 53 74 66 71 66 65 59 

1965-69 37 26 63 59 63 54 73 67 66 63 55 50 

1970-74 61 55 63 49 73 67 65 63 52 47 

1975-79 61 56 48 38 75 70 63 61 53 48 

SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN ASIA 

 Bangladesh Cambodia India Indonesia 

Birth cohort 

(approximate M B M B M B M B 

1930-34 98 76 84 55 

1935-39 97 82 81 58 

1940-44 99 84 77 58 

1945-49 97 87 73 53 

1950-54 94 83 82 58 69 49 

1955-59 95 77 45 22 81 58 67 49 

1960-64 93 74 53 33 79 57 60 44 

1965-69 89 73 47 27 77 56 53 38 

1970-74 81 65 51 32 72 52 49 33 

1975-79 75 61 41 29 66 47 47 31 
51

 Nepal Philippines Pakistan Vietnam 

Birth cohort 

(approximate M B M B M B M B 

1930-34 40 89 

1935-39 44 39 36 87 

1940-44 49 38 32 83 

1945-49 51 37 29 69 61 

1950-54 87 50 38 26 66 60 35 14 

1955-59 85 49 38 25 63 63 35 14 

1960-64 83 51 35 24 58 58 35 19 

1965-69 82 54 34 24 49 49 38 20 

1970-74 78 53 30 21 36 19 

1975-79 74 51 27 20 

NORTHERN AFRICA, CENTRAL ASIA, WESTERN ASIA, EUROPE 

Armenia Egypt Jordan Kazakhstan 

Kyrgyz 

Republic 

Birth cohort 

(approximate) M B M B M B M B M B 

1930-34 75 54 

1935-39 76 56 75 54 

1940-44 76 57 71 55 

1945-49 65 48 63 48 

1950-54 59 41 56 42 35 16 47 24 

1955-59 39 22 56 39 46 34 32 18 38 20 

1960-64 44 23 55 39 38 26 32 18 40 21 

1965-69 49 31 49 35 30 20 31 19 45 23 

1970-74 53 34 43 30 29 19 42 27 58 37 

1975-79 37 25 36 24 22 13 40 22 

Morocco Turkey Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Yemen 

Birth cohort 

(approximate) M B M B M B M B M B 

1930-34 

1935-39 85 58 75 81 

1940-44 81 55 75 73 

1945-49 68 43 73 81 35 

1950-54 59 39 68 42 56 29 75 

1955-59 52 32 65 45 39 19 51 26 79 47 

1960-64 40 25 58 42 24 10 43 23 

1965-69 32 20 49 33 22 10 51 27 79 54 

1970-74 29 17 43 27 26 13 56 25 69 49 

1975-79 43 26 26 15 64 45 
52

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN 

Bolivia Brazil Colombia 

Dominican 

Republic Ecuador 

Birth cohort 

(approximate) M B M B M B M B M B 

1930-34 45 37 61 54 

1935-39 52 41 61 54 52 43 

1940-44 44 31 49 40 67 52 46 37 

1945-49 43 34 38 26 43 37 64 51 48 40 

1950-54 44 38 37 28 40 33 58 44 50 41 

1955-59 46 37 41 29 41 33 57 42 48 39 

1960-64 48 42 40 31 39 32 53 38 46 37 

1965-69 42 38 42 34 37 31 54 38 44 36 

1970-74 43 39 39 32 40 36 56 42 43 36 

1975-79 38 36 37 35 56 44 40 37 

Guatemala Haiti Nicaragua Paraguay Peru 

Birth cohort 

(approximate) M B M B M B M B M B 

1930-34 55 

1935-39 48 50 38 

1940-44 46 52 39 

1945-49 56 48 45 34 49 40 

1950-54 62 49 38 30 40 31 46 35 

1955-59 61 50 47 36 70 56 43 34 42 35 

1960-64 60 50 47 35 67 55 45 36 39 34 

1965-69 58 48 44 35 66 54 41 37 36 31 

1970-74 56 47 45 34 66 51 34 32 

1975-79 55 45 43 31 60 48 34 30 
53

Appendix B. Country codes 

Country 

Code Sub-Saharan Africa 

Country 

Code Southern/Southeastern Asia 

BJ Benin BD Bangladesh 

BF Burkina Faso KH Cambodia 

CM Cameroon IA India 

CF Central Africa Republic ID Indonesia 

TD Chad NP Nepal 

KM Comoros PK Pakistan 

CI Cote’d Ivoire PH Philippines 

ER Eritrea VN Vietnam 

ET Ethiopia 

GB Gabon 

GH Ghana 

Central Asia, Northern Africa, 

Western Asia and Europe 

GN Guinea AM Armenia 

KE Kenya EG Egypt 

MD Madagascar JO Jordan 

MW Malawi KK Kazakhstan 

ML Mali KR Kyrgyz Republic 

MT Mauritania MA Morocco 

MZ Mozambique TM Turkmenistan 

NM Namibia TR Turkey 

NI Niger UZ Uzbekistan 

NG Nigeria YE Yemen 

RW Rwanda 

SN Senegal Latin America/Caribbean 

ZA South Africa BO Bolivia 

SD Sudan BR Brazil 

TZ Tanzania CO Colombia 

TG Togo DR Dominican Republic 

UG Uganda EC Ecuador 

ZM Zambia GU Guatemala 

ZW Zimbabwe HT Haiti 

 NC Nicaragua 

 PY Paraguay 

 PE Peru 

 
53

Appendix B. Country codes 

Country 

Code Sub-Saharan Africa 

Country 

Code Southern/Southeastern Asia 

BJ Benin BD Bangladesh 

BF Burkina Faso KH Cambodia 

CM Cameroon IA India 

CF Central Africa Republic ID Indonesia 

TD Chad NP Nepal 

KM Comoros PK Pakistan 

CI Cote’d Ivoire PH Philippines 

ER Eritrea VN Vietnam 

ET Ethiopia 

GB Gabon 

GH Ghana 

Central Asia, Northern Africa, 

Western Asia and Europe 

GN Guinea AM Armenia 

KE Kenya EG Egypt 

MD Madagascar JO Jordan 

MW Malawi KK Kazakhstan 

ML Mali KR Kyrgyz Republic 

MT Mauritania MA Morocco 

MZ Mozambique TM Turkmenistan 

NM Namibia TR Turkey 

NI Niger UZ Uzbekistan 

NG Nigeria YE Yemen 

RW Rwanda 

SN Senegal Latin America/Caribbean 

ZA South Africa BO Bolivia 

SD Sudan BR Brazil 

TZ Tanzania CO Colombia 

TG Togo DR Dominican Republic 

UG Uganda EC Ecuador 

ZM Zambia GU Guatemala 

ZW Zimbabwe HT Haiti 

 NC Nicaragua 

 PY Paraguay 

 PE Peru 

 
DHS Comparative Reports Series 

1. Westoff, Charles F. 2001. Unmet Need at the End of the Century. 

2. Westoff, Charles F. and Akinrinola Bankole. 2002. Reproductive Preferences in 

Developing Countries at the Turn of the Century. 

3. Rutstein, Shea O. 2002. Fertility Levels, Trends, and Differentials 1995-1999. 

4. Mahy, Mary and George Bicego. 2003. Childhood Mortality in the Developing World: 

A Review of Evidence from the Demographic and Health Surveys. 

5. Westoff, Charles F. 2003. Trends in Marriage and Early Childbearing in Developing 

Countries.