Over the past decade, growing numbers of women in Kenya have been opting to have fewer children, according to new data.
But the government says Kenyans should not worry, since the country’s population will still continue to grow based on the findings from the Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS).
It shows that the fertility rate – meaning the number of children born – has declined from 3.9 children per woman in 2014 to 3.4 children in 2022.
That means it’s highly likely that a woman aged between 15 and 49 in Kenya these days will opt to have three children instead of four.
In 1989, women of this child-bearing age had as many as seven children.
Health experts say the increased access to family planning methods has reduced the total fertility rate. More women are also delaying childbirth in search of higher levels of education.
According to the report, the increasing cost of living in the country has also affected child-rearing choices.
Ashantibiz
