The Impact of Rwanda's Education on Fertility

Abstract

Purpose: This study examines the relationship between education and fertility in Rwanda. The main objective of this study is to identify the impact of fertility on population growth in Rwanda

Design/Methodology/Approach: This research used the secondary data from the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) reported as the Demographic Health Survey (DHS) dataset spanning 2010, 2015, and 2020 from the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda(NISR). Utilising stratified random sampling, as implemented in the DHS datasets, provides a robust and representative sample for investigating the impact of growth phases on body weight and morphometrics across different age groups in Rwanda. The Logistic regression model was used to assess the effect of education on fertility in Rwanda.  

Findings: Findings reveal that households with children are significantly more likely to attend school, and non-poor households exhibit higher attendance rates compared to those categorized as poor. Disparities in fertility rates between women with no education and those with higher education underscore the influence of education, with substantial reductions observed over the years. Contraceptive use displays differential patterns across education levels, with higher education correlating with increased usage. Median age of first birth rises with education level, indicating a shift towards later childbirth. The odds ratio (OR) of 0.842, implies that with each unit increase in education attainment, there's a decrease in the odds of experiencing the outcome variable, which presumably pertains to having children. Sex and marital status have minimal influence, with odds ratios of 1.078 and 1.06 respectively. Age shows negligible impact with an odds ratio of 1.01. Conversely, the wealth category strongly predicts having children, with higher-wealth individuals having 3.552 times higher odds.

The Research Limitation: Research is limited by the absence of current DHS dataset

Practical Implication: Understanding these dynamics can inform the development of more effective family planning strategies tailored to specific socio-cultural contexts, ultimately contributing to improved reproductive health outcomes.

Social Implication: Fertility rates exhibit a negative association with education, emphasising the importance of education in demographic transitions

Originality/ value: The unique contribution of this problem lies in its call for a context-specific examination of the relationship between education and fertility in Rwanda, incorporating socio-economic factors, as well as the need for longitudinal studies to capture the long-term effects of educational interventions on fertility behaviours.