The Early Decline of Fertility in Slavonia
The Early Decline of Fertility in Slavonia

Summary/Abstract: European countries today are characterized by fertility rates that are very low by historical standards. A century and a half ago in most European countries, and as recently as a half century ago in some, the aver¬age woman who married and lived in a married state until menopause could expect to bear about 7 children. Today in many European countries such a woman could expect to bear two, and of course many bear fewer than two. Until this astonishing change in fertility regimes, the major control over the total fertility of a population lay in the control of marriage and the sensitivity of the possibilities of marriage to social and economic conditions. Now, of course, the major control over fertility lies in contraception or abortion.

• Details
• Contents