Fertility Transitions Among Malay Populations of Southeast Asia

Puzzles of Interpretation

Bibliographic Data

ID4120992
AuthorsGavin W Jones (0000-0001-7114-5053, corresponding author)
Year1990
Volume16
Issue3
Pages507
Publication date1990-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenuePopulation and Development Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0098-7921 • E-ISSN: 1728-4457
PublisherJSTOR (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/1972834
OpenAlexW2088454140
LanguageEN
Citations received17
References cited22

The recent fertility trends of the Malay populations in Indonesia Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore are examined as the validity of various fertility theories has been challenged. The fertility transition for the Singapore Malays occurred a decade later compared with the Chinese lasting from 1964 to 1976 during which time fertility dropped by 75% and replacement level fertility was reached for both groups in 1975. Marital fertility accounted for most of the decline. In Peninsular Malaysia fertility declined modestly in the 1960s as a result of the rising age at marriage but in the 1970s the trend of decline was more even and it was reversed by the 1980s. In Indonesia fertility fell rapidly (35-50%) during 1975-85 to below the Malaysian level. A dynamic family planning program and the plummeting of infant mortality (from 140/1000 live births in the 1960s to 70/1000 in the 1980s) accounted for the decline. In Malaysia fertility rose after 1978 because of increased 3rd and 5th order birth rates after the unchanged marital fertility in the 1970s (1st 2nd and 3rd order births rose but higher order births were sharply down). Political assertiveness of the Malays over the Chinese Islamic fundamentalism and flaccid government support for family planning resulted in increased fertility during 1970- 74: from 3.9 to 5.7 children for the Malays from 3.5 to 3.9 for the Chinese and from 3.1 to 4.1 for the Indians. The Singapore fertility decline as both Malays and Chinese reached replacement levels was mainly the result of promotion of the 2-child family concept. The high fertility of Malays in Malaysia contrasts with the rapid decline in Singapore and Indonesia but because of the recent economic recession a downward fertility trend started in 1987 and 1988

Ethnology · Fertility · Geography · Interpretation (philosophy) · Linguistics · Malay · Population · Sociology · Southeast asia · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Demography · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Global Maternal and Child Health · History · Philosophy

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