Recent
Fertility Estimates for China: Total Fertility Rates by Age, 1995
County
(rural)
Town
(urban)
City
(urban)
Age
TFR
measured
correction
factor
TFR
corrected
TFR
measured
correction
factor
TFR
corrected
TFR
measured
correction
factor
TFR
corrected
15 -19
0.07
0.041
0.08
0.03
0.02
0.04
0.02
0.02
0.03
20 - 24
0.85
0.538
1.08
0.66
0.53
0.84
0.54
0.49
0.70
25 - 29
0.47
0.298
0.60
0.43
0.34
0.54
0.43
0.39
0.56
30 - 34
0.15
0.093
0.19
0.10
0.08
0.13
0.10
0.09
0.13
35 - 39
0.03
0.020
0.04
0.02
0.02
0.03
0.02
0.02
0.02
40 - 44
0.01
0.006
0.01
0.01
0.00
0.01
0.00
0.00
0.00
45 - 49
0.00
0.002
0.01
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
Total
1.58
2.00
1.25
1.58
1.13
1.43
Total
Country
Recent fertility surveys in China have reported extremely low levels of
fertility. The raw figures from the 1995 1% fertility survey are as low as 1.13 for cities
and 1.58 for (the rural) counties. The State Statistical Bureau has corrected these raw
figures, but even the modified fertility estimates seem to be unlikely low. While a TFR of
1.43 for cities seems to be possible, one can have doubts that women in rural parts of
China on average have only two children. Also, it raises some concerns that the raw TFR
figure for the counties (1.58) had to be adjusted by 27%.
Age
TFR
measured
correction
factor
TFR
corrected
15 -19
0.05
0.04
0.07
20 - 24
0.77
0.53
0.98
25 - 29
0.46
0.32
0.58
30 - 34
0.13
0.09
0.17
35 - 39
0.03
0.02
0.04
40 - 44
0.01
0.01
0.01
45 - 49
0.00
0.00
0.00
45 - 49
1.46
1.85
Total
Country
Age
TFR
measured
TFR
modified by SSB
Difference
County
1.58
2.00
0.42
Town
1.25
1.58
0.33
City
1.13
1.43
0.30
Nation
1.46
1.85
0.39
Source: State Statistical Bureau (1995): 1 Percent
Population Survey. Beijing