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Below-replacement fertility of ethnic Indians in Fiji: a decomposition analysis of the components of changes in the total fertility rate

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Abstract

The population of Fiji consists of two major ethnic groups, Fijians and Indians; it also comprises other groups, such as Europeans, Chinese and other Pacific Islands. The 2007 Census showed that there were 56.8 % Fijians and 37.5 % Indians, with the remaining 5.7 % consisting of other groups. This paper examines ethnic variation in fertility using current fertility estimated directly from the census data. As the Fiji census continued to gather information on the relationship of mothers with their own children, this information has been used to estimate fertility trends over the past 15 years preceding the census by the application of the own-children method. Fiji has recently undergone a spectacular decline in fertility but with a marked variation between Fijians and Indians. The total fertility rate (TFR) among Indians dropped to 2.8 in 1986 and 2.5 in 1996. It continued to decline further, approaching below the replacement fertility of 1.9 in 2007. By contrast, Fijian fertility reached 3.9 in 1996. As with that of Indians, Fijian fertility also fell sharply, to 3.2 in 2007. This paper uses a decomposition analysis technique to determine the components of changes in the TFRs due to marital structure and marital fertility among Fijians and Indians, covering the intercensal periods, 1966–1976, 1976–1986, 1986–1996 and 1996–2007.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to UNFPA, Suva for providing financial support to undertake this study and to present the findings at the XXVII IUSSP International Population Conference in Busan, South Korea, 26-31 August 2013. This paper has been revised based on the comments and suggestions received at the IUSSP conference.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    Bhakta Gubhaju

  2. UNFPA, Suva, Fiji

    Eduard Jongstra

  3. Bureau of Statistics, Suva, Fiji

    Merewalesi Raikoti

Authors
  1. Bhakta Gubhaju
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  2. Eduard Jongstra
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  3. Merewalesi Raikoti
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Correspondence to Bhakta Gubhaju.

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Gubhaju, B., Jongstra, E. & Raikoti, M. Below-replacement fertility of ethnic Indians in Fiji: a decomposition analysis of the components of changes in the total fertility rate. J Pop Research 31, 269–286 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12546-014-9134-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12546-014-9134-4

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