Futures Group

Resources

Proximate Determinants of Fertility

This is an Excel spreadsheet that illustrates the proximate determinants of fertility using the framework developed by John Bongaarts. The spreadsheet requires current information on the major proximate determinants:

  • Proportion married
  • Duration of postpartum infecundability
  • Total abortion rate
  • Sterility Contraceptive prevalence
  • TFR
  • It also requires information on the current method mix.

Based on this information the spreadsheet will calculate the total fecundity. The effects of each of the proximate determinants in reducing fertility from the total fecundity rate to the actual TFR are displayed graphically. A second calculation allows the user to change any of the proximate determinants, calculate the new total fertility rate and compare the results with the base case.

To use the proximate determinants spreadsheet you will need a copy of Microsoft PowerPoint Version 4 or higher. The file is approximately 32KB in size. The program has been developed by The Futures Group International with support provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).