Fertility and Timing of Childbearing in Colombia

Ewa Batyra, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

Colombia joined the group of low fertility countries in 2010, when its TFR reached replacement level. Recent studies show that the long observed early childbearing pattern in the country might be changing, but little is known about the dimensions of the fertility decline. The present research addresses this by studying the changes in the timing and quantum of fertility across parities and cohorts in Colombia during the last two decades. The analysis of five rounds of DHS revealed opposing trends in the timing of first and higher order births. Using event history analysis I show that the advancement of first births across cohorts occurred alongside postponement of second births. These findings are analyzed with regard to women’s educational levels and show a changing pattern of the timing of childbearing not only across cohorts but also within educational groups. The results should be considered when interpreting the past and future changes in Colombia’s TFR.