JEDDAH — Statistics released recently by the Central Department of Statistics and Information (CDSI) indicated that there was a decline in the fertility rate among Saudi women. It said the birth rate in the past year dropped by 0.06 births per woman, compared to a year earlier. According to the report, the fertility rate for Saudi and non-Saudi women in the Kingdom fell last year to 2.81 births per woman from 2.87 a year earlier. Although the statistics raised concerns, the report said the fertility rate in the Kingdom still remained high compared to the global average of 2.7 births per woman. The report also said the average childbearing age of Saudi and non-Saudi women in the Kingdom fell during the period. It said concerns about women's fertility and associated problems cannot be overcome unless serious research is pursued to identify the causes, whether chronic or transient. Chairman of the Saudi Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics and professor of medicine at King Abdulaziz University Dr. Hassan Abduljabbar attributed the low reproduction rate in the past nine years to several social and economic factors. He said the fertility rate cannot be linked to the overall population, as fertility is associated with the 15-45 age group, and therefore, the birth rate should be determined by the growth or decline in this age group alone. Abduljabbar said there are no accurate statistics for this age group. According to CDSI statistics, their number reached 30,770,375 by the end of 2014 and of them 20,702,536 are Saudis with a growth rate of 2.55 percent. He said bearing children is linked to several factors, including social and economic. He pointed out that the increase in the number of people aged above 60 means a proportional fall in child-bearing ability of a country's population. Another factor is delayed marriage, especially among women, which is linked to factors such as high dowry and the reluctance of young men to get married. "This inevitably results in a drop in the birth rate," he said. The population growth is not a reliable yardstick to measure the number of births or fertility rate, according to Abduljabbar. There are other significant indicators, which include a rise in childbearing difficulties among the 15-45 age group. He said the Saudi Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics is in the process of conducting studies on gynecological diseases associated with tumors causing infertility. Obstetrics and Gynecology Consultant and Director of the Maternity and Children's Hospital in Jeddah Dr. Faisal Kashgari agreed with Abduljabbar. "The decline in the birth rate is linked to social and economic factors. In the past, there were no social challenges forcing families to control pregnancies and child births. People used to get married at an early age and one household would have more than five children. But now the situation is totally different with increased awareness, and the marriage is delayed for many reasons," said Kashgari. He said many young men and women prefer to complete their education and get employed before getting married. He also said many newly married couples prefer to have one child or two due to social conditions or a lack of a decent income.
