Educational Differences in Contraceptive Use, Abortion, and Fertility in Matlab, Bangladesh: The Role of Family Planning Services

Mizanur Rahman, Pathfinder International
Julie DaVanzo, RAND
Abdur Razzaque, ICDDR,B: Centre for Health and Population Research

As Bangladesh has undergone one of the fastest demographic transitions in history, more educated women have been better able to achieve their desired family size. We examine the reasons behind this and assess the role of family planning services in the process. We use longitudinal data on pregnancies and their outcomes from the Matlab Demographic Surveillance System during the last two decades and data on fertility intentions and contraceptive use from 1984 and 1990 KAP surveys. We find that educational differentials in fertility did arise at the initial stage of the demographic transition, but they decreased over time as the contraceptive use increased and as desired family size fell. The idea of a small family size occurred equally across social groups, but the achievement of low fertility was earlier among the more educated because of their greater or better use of contraceptives and also their greater use of abortion.