A new look at the Asian fertility transition.

The author describes the fertility transition in Asia. The Asian transition is surprising for its achievement of 45% of the population being under or around replacement level. The region has improved the opportunity for sustained education. The only country without controlled fertility in the world is Pakistan. Other Islamic countries have higher contraception rates. It is explained that Pakistan's lack of fertility transition may be due to strong male dominance and patriarchy and low levels of female education, which reinforce the dominance. Pakistan remains the outlier in the region, despite its having higher per capita income than Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Laos, and Cambodia. Bangladesh's experience shows that access to family planning (FP) has a significant role in fertility transition, but its provision of a variety of methods without charge was key to its success. FP has been a national priority since 1973, and there was no religious opposition at the national level. The civil service operated consistently in development priorities and policies despite political changes. By 1993, Bangladesh achieved almost universal primary schooling for girls. Bangladesh achieved a fertility of 3.6 in only 26 years compared to India, which has a higher per capita income. During the 1950s to the present, China and India accounted for 60% of the decline in the region. By the late 1960s, fertility decline was apparent throughout the region. The only countries that now show little fertility decline and fertility over 5 children/woman are Afghanistan, Laos, Cambodia, Nepal, and Pakistan. The Asian decline was unique.