Determinants of fertility in a rural society: some evidence from Sierra Leone

Data from a sample of 2000 currently married women aged 15-49 years, during a fertility and family planning survey carried out in rural areas of Moyamba District of Sierra Leone in 1979, are used to investigate the influences of background (wife's tribal and religious affiliations, and current place of residence), socio-economic (wife's education and occupation, and husband's education), and demographic (wife's current age, age at first marriage, desired family size, and infant-child mortality) variables on marital fertility in Sierra Leone. An OLS regression analysis indicates that the demographic variables, size of place of residence and wife's occupation affect fertility significantly. Wife's educational level and tribal affiliation exhibit marginal effects on fertility. Policy implications of these findings are discussed.