Fertility Decline in the Muslim World: A Veritable Sea-Change, Still Curiously Unnoticed

Abstract

There remains a widely perceived notion that ― Muslim societies are especially resistant to embarking upon the path of demographic and familial change that has transformed population profiles in Europe, North America, and other more developed areas. In reality, however, fertility levels are falling dramatically for countries and sub-national populations throughout the Ummah — and traditional marriage patterns and living arrangements are undergoing tremendous change. This paper will highlight some of these changes, examine some of their correlates and possible determinants, and speculate about some of their implications.

Keywords: Ummah, fertility decline, sub-replacement fertility, Middle East, family planning, wanted fertility, population aging

JEL Classification: I15, J11, J13, J14, J21, N33