Like other countries in the Middle Eastand North Africa region, Algeria has undergone a demographictransition. But Algeria's fertility decline defiesconventional explanation. Despite inauspicious startingconditions-a high total fertility rate, reluctant policyenvironment, and delayed implementation of a national familyplanning program-Algeria has surpassed some of its neighborsin fertility reduction. Before its fertility transition,Algeria had one of the highest crude birth rates in theworld, nearly 50 per 1,000. The fertility transition beganin 1965-70, before any significant government support for orinvestment in population control or family planning andbefore significant external donor funding became available.Since then, profound changes in the traditional family modelhave led to a 64 percent decline in the total fertility ratein recent decades, from 6.76 in 1980 to 2.41 in 2006.Overall, Algeria's fertility decline is best understoodin terms of changes in behavior, especially the delay in ageat first marriage, the increase in contraceptive use, and-toa certain degree-the negative effects of the economic crisismanifested in the housing shortage and unemployment of young adults.
PDF
download
878987797
028-85220240
