Disparity in fertility transition and education, and implications for demographic dividend: analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys from 31 sub-Saharan African countries

Yoonjoung Choi, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

Fertility transition and investment in education, operationalized at the household-level, are two of critical factors enabling demographic dividend. While pace of fertility decline is generally slow at the national level in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, there is substantial within-country variation. Educational attainment has improved but also with great sub-population variation. Disparity in these two factors may create more inequality in health and income, and may also slowdown reaping demographic dividend at the country level. The study objective is to understand within-country variation in fertility–and consequent age structures–and education by household wealth and their trends in 31 sub-Saharan African countries. Using data from Demographic and Health Surveys, fertility preference, fertility, median age, dependency ratio, and school attendance among school-age children will be measured by household wealth quintile. Systematic assessment of disparity by household wealth and its trends will provide implications for realizing demographic dividend in the countries.