Matabelaland women least fertile'

WOMEN in Mashonaland Central Province are likely to have more children during their child-bearing age than their peers in other provinces, the 2012 National Census Report shows.

Fertility levels have nothing to do with economic and educational status.

The recently-released final census report shows that 34,1 percent of women in Mashonaland Central between the ages 15 and 49, irrespective of marital status, are likely to have more children by the end of their reproductive years compared to women in other provinces.

Manicaland follows closely at 33,4 percent, while women in Matabelaland South are likely to have the least children as their fertility rate stands at 26,8 percent.

In all the provinces, married women were most likely to have children, followed by divorced and/or separated women.

Fertility indicators were based on either registered or reported births in a specified period in relation to the local population.

In all the provinces, the report noted a negative relationship between fertility and education levels: the more educated a women was, the fewer children she was likely to have.

"The total fertility rate was 4,5 children per woman for women with primary education and 3,5 for those with at least secondary education," noted the report.

Curiously, the report interestingly says that women who had never been to school were likely to have the same number of children as those who had gone to secondary school.