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Pervasive Muslim-Hindu fertility differences in India
A Dharmalingam1, S Philip Morgan
1Department of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.
Demography
|October 6, 2004
Summary
Muslims in India are more likely to want more children than Hindus. Among those not wanting more children, Muslims use contraception less often than Hindus, indicating significant religious disparities in family planning.
Area of Science:
- Demography
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Religious differences in fertility and contraceptive use are critical in understanding population dynamics.
- Previous research suggests variations in family planning behaviors across religious groups in India, but national-level data requires further examination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate Muslim-Hindu disparities in fertility intentions and current contraceptive use in India.
- To identify potential socioeconomic or cultural factors contributing to these differences.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from the 1993 Indian Family and Health Survey.
- Comparative statistical analysis of parity-specific fertility intentions and contraceptive use between Muslim and Hindu women.
- Robustness checks across different model specifications and state-level variations.
Main Results:
- Muslim women exhibit a significantly higher intent to have additional children compared to Hindu women.
- Among women desiring no more children, Muslim women report substantially lower current contraceptive use than Hindu women.
- These disparities are consistent across various Indian states and robust to statistical modeling.
Conclusions:
- Significant religious differentials exist in fertility intentions and contraceptive utilization in India.
- The findings underscore the need for culturally sensitive family planning interventions tailored to specific religious communities.
- Further research is warranted to explore the underlying generalizable factors driving these observed patterns.