Brazil's fertility rate below replacement threshold
Since 2005, the number of children born per woman has been less than 2
Published on 30/10/2014 - 13:45 By Aline Leal reports from Agência Brasil - Brasília
A study released by the Ministry of Health Wednesday (Oct. 29) shows that the number of births in the country dropped 13.3% between 2000 and 2012. Since 2005, the number of children per woman has been less than 2.1, the minimum fertility rate required to sustain the current population size (known as replacement rate).
The only Brazilian region found to surpass that threshold was the North region, where the fertility rate was 2.24 children per woman. The lowest fertility rate was found in the South, with an average of 1.66 children per woman, followed by the Southeast (1.67), the Central-West (1.8) and the Northeast (1.85). The national average is 1.77 children per woman.
According to the study, this trend is likely to speed up the pace of population ageing so as to stabilize population growth in two decades. After that point, the population is expected to enter a decline period, a trend that had already been observed previously.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Brazil's fertility rate below replacement threshold
Edition: Stênio Ribeiro / Augusto Queiroz