Trends in Fertility and Contraceptive Use in Bangladesh

Abstract Despite differing opinions about fertility levels in the past, there is now broad agreement that a major fertility decline has now occurred in Bangladesh. Because it lacked evidence of any of the traditional precursors of fertility transition, Bangladesh has become a country of increasing interest to demographers and to the managers of reproductive health programmes. This chapter examines trends in fertility and contraceptive use in Bangladesh over the last 20 years, and describes how these changes have been brought about.