Effect of women's education on fertility in Rwanda: Evidence from the 2000 RDHS

Abstract

Most studies indicate that women’s education plays a very important role in driving demographic transition. This study aims at exploring the effect of women’s education on fertility in Rwanda. The study is based on the analysis of the 2000 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey and employs both direct and indirect methods of estimating fertility. Bongaarts proximate determinants model and such statistical analyses as PATH analysis. The major finding of the study is that although fertility is still high in Rwanda there is some evidence of fertility decline and marriage is the most important proximate determinant of fertility in the country. The study recommends that more studies are needed to find out socioeconomic variables that affect fertility and contribute to low contraceptive use in the country.