The Total Fertility Rate, or TFR, is the total number of children born per woman if all women live through childbearing years. A TFR of 2 is considered the required rate to maintain a stable population. Most of the countries with the highest TFRs are in Africa, with Niger, Uganda, Mali, Somalia, Burundi, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia having fertility rates over 6. All countries with TFRs over 3 have low per capita income rates.
Worldwide, mortality rates have been reduced through introduction of health services, preventive education and improvements in food security through advances in agriculture. In the developed world, birth rates have fallen to compensate for longer life expectancy, resulting in stable or shrinking native populations. In poorer countries, birth rates have remained at high levels, while mortality rates have not fallen to the same degree as in developed economies.
In the poorest of countries, where population growth is highest, children represent a form of economic security. A child can be economically productive, contributing more than she consumes, at a fairly young age. In agricultural communities, children are a valuable source of labor and provide care for parents in old age. Moreover, in poor communities, child mortality is high. Therefore, many people in poor communities may consider it advantageous to have several children, or oftentimes several male children, to ensure that some reach adulthood. Sociological studies also show that population growth tends to be higher in cultures where women are less empowered in family decisions.
The rapid growth of world population creates numerous societal problems, including food insecurity, water scarcity and a general overburdening of the resource base. While increased access to family planning and education can decrease fertility rates to a degree, economically insecure people will continue to reproduce at unsustainable rates despite these measures. To bring birth rates down in developing countries, the world community needs a comprehensive approach that places a higher priority on the fight against poverty.