UNDERSTANDING
AGE-SPECIFIC FERTILITY RATE
& TOTAL FERTILITY RATE
AGE-SPECIFIC FERTILITY RATE
Age-specific fertility rate (ASFR) is the number of live-births born to females of a specific age group, out of every thousand females in the same age group.
Illustration for computation of ASFR for 25-29 years
Our mothers
are aged
25-29 years
Age-Specific Fertility Rates, 2009 & 2019
90.1
92.4
 
 
Age Group (years)
Per Thousand Females
Total Assets
Over the years, the ASFRs have been gradually declining for those aged below 30 years, while rising slightly for those aged 30 years and over. In 1980, fertility rates were highest among females aged 25-29 years. With the delay in childbirth among females, fertility rates have become highest among females aged 30-34 years instead.
 
 
 
 
TOTAL FERTILITY RATE
Total fertility rate (TFR) refers to the average number of live-births each female would have during her reproductive years if she were subject to the prevailing ASFRs in the population in the given year. Mathematically, it is 5 times the sum of the ASFRs by 5-yearly age groups, over the female reproductive ages for the reference period.
Illustration for computation of 2019 TFR using ASFRs
Age Group
(Years)
Per Thousand
Females
15-19
2.5
20-24
12.7
25-29
59.4
30-34
92.4
35-39
50.1
40-44
9.9
45-49
0.4
Sum of ASFRs by
5-Yearly Age Groups
= 227.4
5
1,000
1.14
Per
Female
Note: Dividing by 1,000 is required since the ASFRs are expressed as per
thousand females while the TFR is expressed as per female.
Total Fertility Rate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Per Female
Total Assets
The TFR has been gradually declining over the past decades (similar to the experience in many developed societies) and is around 1.20 in recent years.
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