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Fertility is the actual bearing of children. Some demographers prefer the word nativity in place of fertility. Fecundity is the capacity to have children.

Factors regulating fertility

The following are important factors which regulate fertility. A knowledge of these factors is important in family planning.

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1. Age at marriage: Early marriage is a long established custom in India The disadvantages of early marriage are

a) Population growth due to increased child birth

b) adverse effect on the health of women.

2. Duration of married life: Maximum child birth occurs in the first 15 years of married life. So efforts for family planning must be concentrated only during these early years of married life.

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3. Spacing of children: Spacing between births reduces fertility rates.

4. Education: Educated women give birth to lesser number of children when compared to illiterates.

5. Economic status: Fertility decreases with an increase in per capita income. Therefore economic development is considered to be the best contraceptive.

6. Caste and Religion Muslims show higher fertility than Hindus. Among Hindus, fertility is high in lower castes.

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7. Nutrition: It has an indirect effect. Well fed societies show lower fertility rate.

8. Family planning: It is an important factor which can lower fertility.

9. Other factors: Cultural and social factors like i) position of women in society ii) value of children iii) customs and beliefs iv) widow remarriage v) industrialization vi) urbanization etc. can affect fertility.