In 2022, the median age for the first wedding among women in the United States stood at 28.6 years. For men, the median age was 30.5 years. The median age of Americans at their first wedding has been steadily increasing for both men and women since 1998.

This statistic contains data on the estimated median age of Americans at their first wedding in the United States in 2021, by race and origin. In 2021, the median age for the first wedding among Asian women stood at 28.8 years.

Mean age and median age at divorce and at marriage, for persons who divorced in a given year, by sex or gender and place of occurrence, 1970 to most recent year.

In 2022, there were 67.85 million married men and 68.45 million married women living in the United States. This is compared to 3.7 million widowed men and 11.48 million widowed women.

Marriage in the United States

Nevada had the highest marriage rate in the United States in 2021, followed by Hawaii and Montana. This can be attributed to marriage accessibility in the state. Las Vegas weddings are known for being quick, easy, and inexpensive chapel weddings. In comparison to the cheap weddings available in Las Vegas, the average expenditure for a wedding in the United States was the highest in New Jersey, clocking in at 51,000 U.S. dollars.

Same-sex marriage

The number of Americans who think that same-sex marriage should be recognized by law has more than doubled since 1996, while the number of Americans who think it should not be valid has decreased. It was not until June 26, 2015 that the United States Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states. Before then, it was up to the states to decide if they allowed same-sex marriage. States in the Southeast are the most opposed to same-sex marriage, whereas the strongest support comes from Northern coastal states.

Since the mid-2000s, the average age at first wedding in France has increased gradually, for both men and women. It seems to be common for the first marriage to be celebrated later and later in Western countries. For example, the median age at first marriage in the United States went from **** years old for males and ** years old for females in 1998, up to **** years old for males and **** for females in 2022. The same thing occurred in Europe, where Spain was the country where the median age at first wedding was the oldest in 2022. French people wait longer to marry According to the source, in 2004, the average age at first wedding for French men was **** compared to **** for women. If men still tend to be older than women at first marriage, the average age at marriage for both males and females increased from 2004 to 2024. In 2024, men were on average **** at their first wedding, compared to **** for women. Most marriages in France happened between men and women, despite the implementation of same-sex marriage in 2013. The mean age at gay marriages appears to be even older than in different-sex weddings. Marriage and divorce in France Thus, the percentage of married persons in France has decreased since 2006, while the share of single and divorced people rose. However, in 2016, France was the second European country with the highest number of marriages behind Germany. On the other hand, like most other Western nations, France also has a high divorce rate. In 2016, the number of French divorces was ** per 100 marriages.

81 percent of the Silent generation were married between the age of 23 and 38. This is true for only 44 percent of Millennials.

***** and ****** had the oldest mean average age of marriage in Europe for both males and females, with males at ** and females at **** in 2023. By contrast, ****** had the youngest average age at marriage for males, at **** and Romania for females at the age of **.

Abstract

The 1993 National Demographic Survey (NDS) is a nationally representative sample survey of women age 15-49 designed to collect information on fertility; family planning; infant, child and maternal mortality; and maternal and child health. The survey was conducted between April and June 1993. The 1993 NDS was carried out by the National Statistics Office in collaboration with the Department of Health, the University of the Philippines Population Institute, and other agencies concerned with population, health and family planning issues. Funding for the 1993 NDS was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development through the Demographic and Health Surveys Program.

Close to 13,000 households throughout the country were visited during the survey and more than 15,000 women age 15-49 were interviewed. The results show that fertility in the Philippines continues its gradual decline. At current levels, Filipino women will give birth on average to 4.1 children during their reproductive years, 0.2 children less than that recorded in 1988. However, the total fertility rate in the Philippines remains high in comparison to the level achieved in the neighboring Southeast Asian countries.

The primary objective of the 1993 NDS is to provide up-to-date inform ation on fertility and mortality levels; nuptiality; fertility preferences; awareness, approval, and use of family planning methods; breastfeeding practices; and maternal and child health. This information is intended to assist policymakers and administrators in evaluating and designing programs and strategies for improving health and family planning services in 'the country.

MAIN RESULTS

Fertility varies significantly by region and socioeconomic characteristics. Urban women have on average 1.3 children less than rural women, and uneducated women have one child more than women with college education. Women in Bicol have on average 3 more children than women living in Metropolitan Manila.

Virtually all women know of a family planning method; the pill, female sterilization, IUD and condom are known to over 90 percent of women. Four in 10 married women are currently using contraception. The most popular method is female sterilization ( 12 percent), followed by the piU (9 percent), and natural family planning and withdrawal, both used by 7 percent of married women.

Contraceptive use is highest in Northern Mindanao, Central Visayas and Southern Mindanao, in urban areas, and among women with higher than secondary education. The contraceptive prevalence rate in the Philippines is markedly lower than in the neighboring Southeast Asian countries; the percentage of married women who were using family planning in Thailand was 66 percent in 1987, and 50 percent in Indonesia in 199l.

The majority of contraceptive users obtain their methods from a public service provider (70 percent). Government health facilities mainly provide permanent methods, while barangay health stations or health centers are the main sources for the pill, IUD and condom.

Although Filipino women already marry at a relatively higher age, they continue to delay the age at which they first married. Half of Filipino women marry at age 21.6. Most women have their first sexual intercourse after marriage.

Half of married women say that they want no more children, and 12 percent have been sterilized. An additional 19 percent want to wait at least two years before having another child. Almost two thirds of women in the Philippines express a preference for having 3 or less children. Results from the survey indicate that if all unwanted births were avoided, the total fertility rate would be 2.9 children, which is almost 30 percent less than the observed rate,

More than one quarter of married women in the Philippines are not using any contraceptive method, but want to delay their next birth for two years or more (12 percent), or want to stop childbearing (14 percent). If the potential demand for family planning is satisfied, the contraceptive prevalence rate could increase to 69 percent. The demand for stopping childbearing is about twice the level for spacing (45 and 23 percent, respectively).

Information on various aspects of maternal and child health---antenatal care, vaccination, breastfeeding and food supplementation, and illness was collected in the 1993 NDS on births in the five years preceding the survey. The findings show that 8 in 10 children under five were bom to mothers who received antenatal care from either midwives or nurses (45 percent) or doctors (38 percent). Delivery by a medical personnel is received by more than half of children born in the five years preceding the survey. However, the majority of deliveries occurred at home.

Tetanus, a leading cause of infant deaths, can be prevented by immunization of the mother during pregnancy. In the Philippines, two thirds of bitlhs in the five years preceding the survey were to mothers who received a tetanus toxoid injection during pregnancy.

Based on reports of mothers and information obtained from health cards, 90 percent of children aged 12-23 months have received shots of the BCG as well as the first doses of DPT and polio, and 81 percent have received immunization from measles. Immunization coverage declines with doses; the drop out rate is 3 to 5 percent for children receiving the full dose series of DPT and polio. Overall, 7 in 10 children age 12-23 months have received immunization against the six principal childhood diseases---polio, diphtheria, ~rtussis, tetanus, measles and tuberculosis.

During the two weeks preceding the survey, 1 in 10 children under 5 had diarrhea. Four in ten of these children were not treated. Among those who were treated, 27 percent were given oral rehydration salts, 36 percent were given recommended home solution or increased fluids.

Breasffeeding is less common in the Philippines than in many other developing countries. Overall, a total of 13 percent of children born in the 5 years preceding the survey were not breastfed at all. On the other hand, bottle feeding, a widely discouraged practice, is relatively common in the Philippines. Children are weaned at an early age; one in four children age 2-3 months were exclusively breastfed, and the mean duration of breastfeeding is less than 3 months.

Infant and child mortality in the Philippines have declined significantly in the past two decades. For every 1,000 live births, 34 infants died before their first birthday. Childhood mortality varies significantly by mother's residence and education. The mortality of urban infants is about 40 percent lower than that of rural infants. The probability of dying among infants whose mother had no formal schooling is twice as high as infants whose mother have secondary or higher education. Children of mothers who are too young or too old when they give birth, have too many prior births, or give birth at short intervals have an elevated mortality risk. Mortality risk is highest for children born to mothers under age 19.

The 1993 NDS also collected information necessary for the calculation of adult and maternal mortality using the sisterhood method. For both males and females, at all ages, male mortality is higher than that of females. Matemal mortality ratio for the 1980-1986 is estimated at 213 per 100,000 births, and for the 1987-1993 period 209 per 100,000 births. However, due to the small number of sibling deaths reported in the survey, age-specific rates should be used with caution.

Information on health and family planning services available to the residents of the 1993 NDS barangay was collected from a group of respondents in each location. Distance and time to reach a family planning service provider has insignificant association with whether a woman uses contraception or the choice of contraception being used. On the other hand, being close to a hospital increases the likelihood that antenatal care and births are to respondents who receive ANC and are delivered by a medical personnel or delivered in a health facility.

Geographic coverage

National. The main objective of the 1993 NDS sample is to allow analysis to be carried out for urban and rural areas separately, for 14 of the 15 regions in the country. Due to the recent formation of the 15th region, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the sample did not allow for a separate estimate for this region.

Analysis unit

• Household
• Women age 15-49

Universe

The population covered by the 1993 Phillipines NDS is defined as the universe of all females age 15-49 years, who are members of the sample household or visitors present at the time of interview and had slept in the sample households the night prior to the time of interview, regardless of marital status.

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

The main objective of the 1993 National Demographic Survey (NDS) sample is to provide estimates with an acceptable precision for sociodemographics characteristics, like fertility, family planning, health and mortality variables and to allow analysis to be carried out for urban and rural areas separately, for 14 of the 15 regions in the country. Due to the recent formation of the 15th region, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the sample did not allow for a separate estimate for this region.

The sample is nationally representative with a total size of about 15,000 women aged 15 to 49. The Integrated Survey of Households (ISH) was used as a frame. The ISH was developed in 1980, and was comprised of samples of primary sampling units (PSUs) systematically selected and with a probability proportional to size in each of the 14 regions. The PSUs were reselected in 1991, using the 1990 Population Census data on

The average age at which people in England and Wales get married has been rising since the 1970s, with the average age of men marrying women increasing from **** in 1972 to **** by 2019, with the average age for women marrying men going up from **** to **** in the same time period. Since 2014 and the legalization of same-sex marriage in England and Wales, the average age for men marrying men has fluctuated between **** and ****, while the average age for females marrying females has fluctuated between **** and ****. Strong support for same-sex marriage in UK Over ten years after same-sex marriage was legalized in most of the UK, polls have shown consistent support for the legislation. As of May 2025, ** percent of Britons supported same-sex marriage, compared with ** percent who opposed it, and ***** percent who did not know. England and Wales was the first jurisdiction to allow same-sex marriages, with the first marriages taking place in March 2014, followed by Scotland in December of that year. Legislation allowing same-sex marriage was not passed in Northern Ireland until 2019, with the first marriages not taking place in 2020. Most popular wedding dates In 2022, the most popular wedding date across the entire year in England and Wales was July 30, with ***** weddings taking place that day. The next most popular wedding date was August 20, which had ***** weddings, followed by May 28, at *****. All three of these dates were Saturday's, which, at over ** percent of all weddings, was by far the most popular day of the week for weddings to be held the week. As for the most popular month, August had the most weddings held in 2022, at ******, with ****** being held in July, and ****** in June, the second, and third-most popular months for weddings, respectively.

The 1993 National Demographic Survey (NDS) is a nationally representative sample survey of women age 15-49 designed to collect information on fertility; family planning; infant, child and maternal mortality; and maternal and child health. The survey was conducted between April and June 1993. The 1993 NDS was carried out by the National Statistics Office in collaboration with the Department of Health, the University of the Philippines Population Institute, and other agencies concerned with population, health and family planning issues. Funding for the 1993 NDS was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development through the Demographic and Health Surveys Program. Close to 13,000 households throughout the country were visited during the survey and more than 15,000 women age 15-49 were interviewed. The results show that fertility in the Philippines continues its gradual decline. At current levels, Filipino women will give birth on average to 4.1 children during their reproductive years, 0.2 children less than that recorded in 1988. However, the total fertility rate in the Philippines remains high in comparison to the level achieved in the neighboring Southeast Asian countries. The primary objective of the 1993 NDS is to provide up-to-date inform ation on fertility and mortality levels; nuptiality; fertility preferences; awareness, approval, and use of family planning methods; breastfeeding practices; and maternal and child health. This information is intended to assist policymakers and administrators in evaluating and designing programs and strategies for improving health and family planning services in 'the country. MAIN RESULTS Fertility varies significantly by region and socioeconomic characteristics. Urban women have on average 1.3 children less than rural women, and uneducated women have one child more than women with college education. Women in Bicol have on average 3 more children than women living in Metropolitan Manila. Virtually all women know of a family planning method; the pill, female sterilization, IUD and condom are known to over 90 percent of women. Four in 10 married women are currently using contraception. The most popular method is female sterilization ( 12 percent), followed by the piU (9 percent), and natural family planning and withdrawal, both used by 7 percent of married women. Contraceptive use is highest in Northern Mindanao, Central Visayas and Southern Mindanao, in urban areas, and among women with higher than secondary education. The contraceptive prevalence rate in the Philippines is markedly lower than in the neighboring Southeast Asian countries; the percentage of married women who were using family planning in Thailand was 66 percent in 1987, and 50 percent in Indonesia in 199l. The majority of contraceptive users obtain their methods from a public service provider (70 percent). Government health facilities mainly provide permanent methods, while barangay health stations or health centers are the main sources for the pill, IUD and condom. Although Filipino women already marry at a relatively higher age, they continue to delay the age at which they first married. Half of Filipino women marry at age 21.6. Most women have their first sexual intercourse after marriage. Half of married women say that they want no more children, and 12 percent have been sterilized. An additional 19 percent want to wait at least two years before having another child. Almost two thirds of women in the Philippines express a preference for having 3 or less children. Results from the survey indicate that if all unwanted births were avoided, the total fertility rate would be 2.9 children, which is almost 30 percent less than the observed rate, More than one quarter of married women in the Philippines are not using any contraceptive method, but want to delay their next birth for two years or more (12 percent), or want to stop childbearing (14 percent). If the potential demand for family planning is satisfied, the contraceptive prevalence rate could increase to 69 percent. The demand for stopping childbearing is about twice the level for spacing (45 and 23 percent, respectively). Information on various aspects of maternal and child health-antenatal care, vaccination, breastfeeding and food supplementation, and illness was collected in the 1993 NDS on births in the five years preceding the survey. The findings show that 8 in 10 children under five were bom to mothers who received antenatal care from either midwives or nurses (45 percent) or doctors (38 percent). Delivery by a medical personnel is received by more than half of children born in the five years preceding the survey. However, the majority of deliveries occurred at home. Tetanus, a leading cause of infant deaths, can be prevented by immunization of the mother during pregnancy. In the Philippines, two thirds of bitlhs in the five years preceding the survey were to mothers who received a tetanus toxoid injection during pregnancy. Based on reports of mothers and information obtained from health cards, 90 percent of children aged 12-23 months have received shots of the BCG as well as the first doses of DPT and polio, and 81 percent have received immunization from measles. Immunization coverage declines with doses; the drop out rate is 3 to 5 percent for children receiving the full dose series of DPT and polio. Overall, 7 in 10 children age 12-23 months have received immunization against the six principal childhood diseases-polio, diphtheria, ~rtussis, tetanus, measles and tuberculosis. During the two weeks preceding the survey, 1 in 10 children under 5 had diarrhea. Four in ten of these children were not treated. Among those who were treated, 27 percent were given oral rehydration salts, 36 percent were given recommended home solution or increased fluids. Breasffeeding is less common in the Philippines than in many other developing countries. Overall, a total of 13 percent of children born in the 5 years preceding the survey were not breastfed at all. On the other hand, bottle feeding, a widely discouraged practice, is relatively common in the Philippines. Children are weaned at an early age; one in four children age 2-3 months were exclusively breastfed, and the mean duration of breastfeeding is less than 3 months. Infant and child mortality in the Philippines have declined significantly in the past two decades. For every 1,000 live births, 34 infants died before their first birthday. Childhood mortality varies significantly by mother's residence and education. The mortality of urban infants is about 40 percent lower than that of rural infants. The probability of dying among infants whose mother had no formal schooling is twice as high as infants whose mother have secondary or higher education. Children of mothers who are too young or too old when they give birth, have too many prior births, or give birth at short intervals have an elevated mortality risk. Mortality risk is highest for children born to mothers under age 19. The 1993 NDS also collected information necessary for the calculation of adult and maternal mortality using the sisterhood method. For both males and females, at all ages, male mortality is higher than that of females. Matemal mortality ratio for the 1980-1986 is estimated at 213 per 100,000 births, and for the 1987-1993 period 209 per 100,000 births. However, due to the small number of sibling deaths reported in the survey, age-specific rates should be used with caution. Information on health and family planning services available to the residents of the 1993 NDS barangay was collected from a group of respondents in each location. Distance and time to reach a family planning service provider has insignificant association with whether a woman uses contraception or the choice of contraception being used. On the other hand, being close to a hospital increases the likelihood that antenatal care and births are to respondents who receive ANC and are delivered by a medical personnel or delivered in a health facility.

The mean age at first marriage in Spain was, along with Sweden, one of the highest in the European Union. Based on this setup, it is no wonder that the Spanish autonomous communities featured quite elevated numbers - particularly in the Canary Islands, where the average age at first marriage stood at over 41 years old for men and over ** for women in 2023. Easy come easy go Marriage might be undergoing a declining popularity among Spaniards, or so it would seem by its national (heterosexual) marriage figures, which have experienced a slight decrease overtime. In 2023, the Balearic Islands recording the highest numbers on the list of marriage rate in Spain, with a rate of **** marriages per 1,000 people. Moreover, Spain has one of the highest divorce rates in Europe, with **** divorces per 100 marriages carried out in this country in 2020. Ageing: a common problem across the continent The age at first marriage is not the only digit that is on the rise in Spain. Data related to age in the Mediterranean country essentially behaves in a similar fashion as the rest of its European counterparts, whose population is also slowly but surely getting older. In 2023, the life expectancy at birth in Spain stood at ***** years, one of the highest in the world.

The percentage of births to unmarried women in the United States has more than doubled since 1980, reaching 40 percent in 2023. This significant shift in family structure reflects changing societal norms and demographic trends over the past four decades. The rise in births outside of marriage has implications for family dynamics, social support systems, and public policy. Age and ethnicity factors in birth rates While the overall percentage of births to unmarried women has stabilized around 40 percent in recent years, birth rates vary significantly across age groups and ethnicities. Unsurprisingly, in 2023, women between 20 and 34 years old had the highest birth rate at 83 births per 1,000 women, while teenagers aged 15 to 19 had the lowest rate at 8 births per 1,000 women. Additionally, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women had the highest fertility rate among all race/ethnicities in 2022, with approximately 2,237.5 births per 1,000 women, compared to the national average of 1,656.5 births per 1,000 women. Changing household structures The increase in births to unmarried women has contributed to evolving household structures in the United States. In 2023, there were approximately 15.18 million families with a single mother, a significant increase from previous decades. This trend aligns with the overall rise in births outside of marriage and suggests a growing need for support systems and policies that address the unique challenges faced by single-parent households.

Abstract

The 1998 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) is a nationally representative survey of 7,881 wo 881 women age 15-49 and 3,407 men age 15-54. The KDHS was implemented by the National Council for Population and Development (NCPD) and the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), with significant technical and logistical support provided by the Ministry of Health and various other governmental and nongovernmental organizations in Kenya. Macro International Inc. of Calverton, Maryland (U.S.A.) provided technical assistance throughout the course of the project in the context of the worldwide Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) programme, while financial assistance was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID/Nairobi) and the Department for International Development (DFID/U.K.). Data collection for the KDHS was conducted from February to July 1998. Like the previous KDHS surveys conducted in 1989 and 1993, the 1998 KDHS was designed to provide information on levels and trends in fertility, family planning knowledge and use, infant and child mortality, and other maternal and child health indicators. However, the 1998 KDHS went further to collect more in-depth data on knowledge and behaviours related to AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), detailed “calendar” data that allows estimation of contraceptive discontinuation rates, and information related to the practice of female circumcision. Further, unlike earlier surveys, the 1998 KDHS provides a national estimate of the level of maternal mortality (i.e. related to pregnancy and childbearing).The KDHS data are intended for use by programme managers and policymakers to evaluate and improve health and family planning programmes in Kenya. Fertility. The survey results demonstrate a continuation of the fertility transition in Kenya. At current fertility levels, a Kenyan women will bear 4.7 children in her life, down 30 percent from the 1989 KDHS when the total fertility rate (TFR) was 6.7 children, and 42 percent since the 1977/78 Kenya Fertility Survey (KFS) when the TFR was 8.1 children per woman. A rural woman can expect to have 5.2 children, around two children more than an urban women (3.1 children). Fertility differentials by women's education level are even more remarkable; women with no education will bear an average of 5.8 children, compared to 3.5 children for women with secondary school education. Marriage. The age at which women and men first marry has risen slowly over the past 20 years. Currently, women marry for the first time at an average age of 20 years, compared with 25 years for men. Women with a secondary education marry five years later (22) than women with no education (17).The KDHS data indicate that the practice of polygyny continues to decline in Kenya. Sixteen percent of currently married women are in a polygynous union (i.e., their husband has at least one other wife), compared with 19 percent of women in the 1993 KDHS, 23 percent in the 1989 KDHS, and 30 percent in the 1977/78 KFS. While men first marry an average of 5 years later than women, men become sexual active about onehalf of a year earlier than women; in the youngest age cohort for which estimates are available (age 20-24), first sex occurs at age 16.8 for women and 16.2 for men. Fertility Preferences. Fifty-three percent of women and 46 percent of men in Kenya do not want to have any more children. Another 25 percent of women and 27 percent of men would like to delay their next child for two years or longer. Thus, about three-quarters of women and men either want to limit or to space their births. The survey results show that, of all births in the last three years, 1 in 10 was unwanted and 1 in 3 was mistimed. If all unwanted births were avoided, the fertility rate in Kenya would fall from 4.7 to 3.5 children per woman. Family Planning. Knowledge and use of family planning in Kenya has continued to rise over the last several years. The 1998 KDHS shows that virtually all married women (98 percent) and men (99 percent) were able to cite at least one modern method of contraception. The pill, condoms, injectables, and female sterlisation are the most widely known methods. Overall, 39 percent of currently married women are using a method of contraception. Use of modern methods has increased from 27 in the 1993 KDHS to 32 percent in the 1998 KDHS. Currently, the most widely used methods are contraceptive injectables (12 percent of married women), the pill (9 percent), female sterilisation (6 percent), and periodic abstinence (6 percent). Three percent of married women are using the IUD, while over 1 percent report using the condom and 1 percent use of contraceptive implants (Norplant). The rapid increase in use of injectables (from 7 to 12 percent between 1993 and 1998) to become the predominant method, plus small rises in the use of implants, condoms and female sterilisation have more than offset small decreases in pill and IUD use. Thus, both new acceptance of contraception and method switching have characterised the 1993-1998 intersurvey period. Contraceptive use varies widely among geographic and socioeconomic subgroups. More than half of currently married women in Central Province (61 percent) and Nairobi Province (56 percent) are currently using a method, compared with 28 percent in Nyanza Province and 22 percent in Coast Province. Just 23 percent of women with no education use contraception versus 57 percent of women with at least some secondary education. Government facilities provide contraceptives to 58 percent of users, while 33 percent are supplied by private medical sources, 5 percent through other private sources, and 3 percent through community-based distribution (CBD) agents. This represents a significant shift in sourcing away from public outlets, a decline from 68 percent estimated in the 1993 KDHS. While the government continues to provide about two-thirds of IUD insertions and female sterilisations, the percentage of pills and injectables supplied out of government facilities has dropped from over 70 percent in 1993 to 53 percent for pills and 64 percent for injectables in 1998. Supply of condoms through public sector facilities has also declined: from 37 to 21 percent between 1993 and 1998. The survey results indicate that 24 percent of married women have an unmet need for family planning (either for spacing or limiting births). This group comprises married women who are not using a method of family planning but either want to wait two year or more for their next birth (14 percent) or do not want any more children (10 percent). While encouraging that unmet need at the national level has declined (from 34 to 24 percent) since 1993, there are parts of the country where the need for contraception remains high. For example, the level of unmet need is higher in Western Province (32 percent) and Coast Province (30 province) than elsewhere in Kenya. Early Childhood Mortality. One of the main objectives of the KDHS was to document current levels and trends in mortality among children under age 5. Results from the 1998 KDHS data make clear that childhood mortality conditions have worsened in the early-mid 1990s; this after a period of steadily improving child survival prospects through the mid-to-late 1980s. Under-five mortality, the probability of dying before the fifth birthday, stands at 112 deaths per 1000 live births which represents a 24 percent increase over the last decade. Survival chances during age 1-4 years suffered disproportionately: rising 38 percent over the same period. Survey results show that childhood mortality is especially high when associated with two factors: a short preceding birth interval and a low level of maternal education. The risk of dying in the first year of life is more than doubled when the child is born after an interval of less than 24 months. Children of women with no education experience an under-five mortality rate that is two times higher than children of women who attended secondary school or higher. Provincial differentials in childhood mortality are striking; under-five mortality ranges from a low of 34 deaths per 1000 live births in Central Province to a high of 199 per 1000 in Nyanza Province. Maternal Health. Utilisation of antenatal services is high in Kenya; in the three years before the survey, mothers received antenatal care for 92 percent of births (Note: These data do not speak to the quality of those antenatal services). The median number of antenatal visits per pregnancy was 3.7. Most antenatal care is provided by nurses and trained midwives (64 percent), but the percentage provided by doctors (28 percent) has risen in recent years. Still, over one-third of women who do receive care, start during the third trimester of pregnancy-too late to receive the optimum benefits of antenatal care. Mothers reported receiving at least one tetanus toxoid injection during pregnancy for 90 percent of births in the three years before the survey. Tetanus toxoid is a powerful weapon in the fight against neonatal tetanus, a deadly disease that attacks young infants. Forty-two percent of births take place in health facilities; however, this figure varies from around three-quarters of births in Nairobi to around one-quarter of births in Western Province. It is important for the health of both the mother and child that trained medical personnel are available in cases of prolonged labour or obstructed delivery, which are major causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. The 1998 KDHS collected information that allows estimation of mortality related to pregnancy and childbearing. For the 10-year period before the survey, the maternal mortality ratio was estimated to be 590 deaths per 100,000 live births. Bearing on average 4.7 children, a Kenyan woman has a 1 in 36 chance of dying from maternal causes during her lifetime. Childhood Immunisation. The KDHS

The 1993 National Demographic Survey (NDS) is a nationally representative sample survey of women age 15-49 designed to collect information on fertility; family planning; infant, child and maternal mortality; and maternal and child health. The survey was conducted between April and June 1993. The 1993 NDS was carried out by the National Statistics Office in collaboration with the Department of Health, the University of the Philippines Population Institute, and other agencies concerned with population, health and family planning issues. Funding for the 1993 NDS was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development through the Demographic and Health Surveys Program. Close to 13,000 households throughout the country were visited during the survey and more than 15,000 women age 15-49 were interviewed. The results show that fertility in the Philippines continues its gradual decline. At current levels, Filipino women will give birth on average to 4.1 children during their reproductive years, 0.2 children less than that recorded in 1988. However, the total fertility rate in the Philippines remains high in comparison to the level achieved in the neighboring Southeast Asian countries. The primary objective of the 1993 NDS is to provide up-to-date inform ation on fertility and mortality levels; nuptiality; fertility preferences; awareness, approval, and use of family planning methods; breastfeeding practices; and maternal and child health. This information is intended to assist policymakers and administrators in evaluating and designing programs and strategies for improving health and family planning services in 'the country. MAIN RESULTS Fertility varies significantly by region and socioeconomic characteristics. Urban women have on average 1.3 children less than rural women, and uneducated women have one child more than women with college education. Women in Bicol have on average 3 more children than women living in Metropolitan Manila. Virtually all women know of a family planning method; the pill, female sterilization, IUD and condom are known to over 90 percent of women. Four in 10 married women are currently using contraception. The most popular method is female sterilization ( 12 percent), followed by the piU (9 percent), and natural family planning and withdrawal, both used by 7 percent of married women. Contraceptive use is highest in Northern Mindanao, Central Visayas and Southern Mindanao, in urban areas, and among women with higher than secondary education. The contraceptive prevalence rate in the Philippines is markedly lower than in the neighboring Southeast Asian countries; the percentage of married women who were using family planning in Thailand was 66 percent in 1987, and 50 percent in Indonesia in 199l. The majority of contraceptive users obtain their methods from a public service provider (70 percent). Government health facilities mainly provide permanent methods, while barangay health stations or health centers are the main sources for the pill, IUD and condom. Although Filipino women already marry at a relatively higher age, they continue to delay the age at which they first married. Half of Filipino women marry at age 21.6. Most women have their first sexual intercourse after marriage. Half of married women say that they want no more children, and 12 percent have been sterilized. An additional 19 percent want to wait at least two years before having another child. Almost two thirds of women in the Philippines express a preference for having 3 or less children. Results from the survey indicate that if all unwanted births were avoided, the total fertility rate would be 2.9 children, which is almost 30 percent less than the observed rate, More than one quarter of married women in the Philippines are not using any contraceptive method, but want to delay their next birth for two years or more (12 percent), or want to stop childbearing (14 percent). If the potential demand for family planning is satisfied, the contraceptive prevalence rate could increase to 69 percent. The demand for stopping childbearing is about twice the level for spacing (45 and 23 percent, respectively). Information on various aspects of maternal and child health-antenatal care, vaccination, breastfeeding and food supplementation, and illness was collected in the 1993 NDS on births in the five years preceding the survey. The findings show that 8 in 10 children under five were bom to mothers who received antenatal care from either midwives or nurses (45 percent) or doctors (38 percent). Delivery by a medical personnel is received by more than half of children born in the five years preceding the survey. However, the majority of deliveries occurred at home. Tetanus, a leading cause of infant deaths, can be prevented by immunization of the mother during pregnancy. In the Philippines, two thirds of bitlhs in the five years preceding the survey were to mothers who received a tetanus toxoid injection during pregnancy. Based on reports of mothers and information obtained from health cards, 90 percent of children aged 12-23 months have received shots of the BCG as well as the first doses of DPT and polio, and 81 percent have received immunization from measles. Immunization coverage declines with doses; the drop out rate is 3 to 5 percent for children receiving the full dose series of DPT and polio. Overall, 7 in 10 children age 12-23 months have received immunization against the six principal childhood diseases-polio, diphtheria, ~rtussis, tetanus, measles and tuberculosis. During the two weeks preceding the survey, 1 in 10 children under 5 had diarrhea. Four in ten of these children were not treated. Among those who were treated, 27 percent were given oral rehydration salts, 36 percent were given recommended home solution or increased fluids. Breasffeeding is less common in the Philippines than in many other developing countries. Overall, a total of 13 percent of children born in the 5 years preceding the survey were not breastfed at all. On the other hand, bottle feeding, a widely discouraged practice, is relatively common in the Philippines. Children are weaned at an early age; one in four children age 2-3 months were exclusively breastfed, and the mean duration of breastfeeding is less than 3 months. Infant and child mortality in the Philippines have declined significantly in the past two decades. For every 1,000 live births, 34 infants died before their first birthday. Childhood mortality varies significantly by mother's residence and education. The mortality of urban infants is about 40 percent lower than that of rural infants. The probability of dying among infants whose mother had no formal schooling is twice as high as infants whose mother have secondary or higher education. Children of mothers who are too young or too old when they give birth, have too many prior births, or give birth at short intervals have an elevated mortality risk. Mortality risk is highest for children born to mothers under age 19. The 1993 NDS also collected information necessary for the calculation of adult and maternal mortality using the sisterhood method. For both males and females, at all ages, male mortality is higher than that of females. Matemal mortality ratio for the 1980-1986 is estimated at 213 per 100,000 births, and for the 1987-1993 period 209 per 100,000 births. However, due to the small number of sibling deaths reported in the survey, age-specific rates should be used with caution. Information on health and family planning services available to the residents of the 1993 NDS barangay was collected from a group of respondents in each location. Distance and time to reach a family planning service provider has insignificant association with whether a woman uses contraception or the choice of contraception being used. On the other hand, being close to a hospital increases the likelihood that antenatal care and births are to respondents who receive ANC and are delivered by a medical personnel or delivered in a health facility.

Abstract

The 2013 Turkey Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS-2013) is a nationally representative sample survey. The primary objective of the TDHS-2013 is to provide data on socioeconomic characteristics of households and women between ages 15-49, fertility, childhood mortality, marriage patterns, family planning, maternal and child health, nutritional status of women and children, and reproductive health. The survey obtained detailed information on these issues from a sample of women of reproductive age (15-49). The TDHS-2013 was designed to produce information in the field of demography and health that to a large extent cannot be obtained from other sources.

Specifically, the objectives of the TDHS-2013 included: - Collecting data at the national level that allows the calculation of some demographic and health indicators, particularly fertility rates and childhood mortality rates, - Obtaining information on direct and indirect factors that determine levels and trends in fertility and childhood mortality, - Measuring the level of contraceptive knowledge and practice by contraceptive method and some background characteristics, i.e., region and urban-rural residence, - Collecting data relative to maternal and child health, including immunizations, antenatal care, and postnatal care, assistance at delivery, and breastfeeding, - Measuring the nutritional status of children under five and women in the reproductive ages, - Collecting data on reproductive-age women about marriage, employment status, and social status

The TDHS-2013 information is intended to provide data to assist policy makers and administrators to evaluate existing programs and to design new strategies for improving demographic, social and health policies in Turkey. Another important purpose of the TDHS-2013 is to sustain the flow of information for the interested organizations in Turkey and abroad on the Turkish population structure in the absence of a reliable and sufficient vital registration system. Additionally, like the TDHS-2008, TDHS-2013 is accepted as a part of the Official Statistic Program.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

• Household
• Women age 15-49
• Children under age of five

Universe

The survey covered all de jure household members (usual residents), children age 0-5 years and women age 15-49 years resident in the household.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sample design and sample size for the TDHS-2013 makes it possible to perform analyses for Turkey as a whole, for urban and rural areas, and for the five demographic regions of the country (West, South, Central, North, and East). The TDHS-2013 sample is of sufficient size to allow for analysis on some of the survey topics at the level of the 12 geographical regions (NUTS 1) which were adopted at the second half of the year 2002 within the context of Turkey’s move to join the European Union.

In the selection of the TDHS-2013 sample, a weighted, multi-stage, stratified cluster sampling approach was used. Sample selection for the TDHS-2013 was undertaken in two stages. The first stage of selection included the selection of blocks as primary sampling units from each strata and this task was requested from the TURKSTAT. The frame for the block selection was prepared using information on the population sizes of settlements obtained from the 2012 Address Based Population Registration System. Settlements with a population of 10,000 and more were defined as “urban”, while settlements with populations less than 10,000 were considered “rural” for purposes of the TDHS-2013 sample design. Systematic selection was used for selecting the blocks; thus settlements were given selection probabilities proportional to their sizes. Therefore more blocks were sampled from larger settlements.

The second stage of sample selection involved the systematic selection of a fixed number of households from each block, after block lists were obtained from TURKSTAT and were updated through a field operation; namely the listing and mapping fieldwork. Twentyfive households were selected as a cluster from urban blocks, and 18 were selected as a cluster from rural blocks. The total number of households selected in TDHS-2013 is 14,490.

The total number of clusters in the TDHS-2013 was set at 642. Block level household lists, each including approximately 100 households, were provided by TURKSTAT, using the National Address Database prepared for municipalities. The block lists provided by TURKSTAT were updated during the listing and mapping activities.

All women at ages 15-49 who usually live in the selected households and/or were present in the household the night before the interview were regarded as eligible for the Women’s Questionnaire and were interviewed. All analysis in this report is based on de facto women.

Note: A more technical and detailed description of the TDHS-2013 sample design, selection and implementation is presented in Appendix B of the final report of the survey.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Two main types of questionnaires were used to collect the TDHS-2013 data: the Household Questionnaire and the Individual Questionnaire for all women of reproductive age. The contents of these questionnaires were based on the DHS core questionnaire. Additions, deletions and modifications were made to the DHS model questionnaire in order to collect information particularly relevant to Turkey. Attention also was paid to ensuring the comparability of the TDHS-2013 findings with previous demographic surveys carried out by the Hacettepe Institute of Population Studies. In the process of designing the TDHS-2013 questionnaires, national and international population and health agencies were consulted for their comments.

The questionnaires were developed in Turkish and translated into English.

Cleaning operations

TDHS-2013 questionnaires were returned to the Hacettepe University Institute of Population Studies by the fieldwork teams for data processing as soon as interviews were completed in a province. The office editing staff checked that the questionnaires for all selected households and eligible respondents were returned from the field. A total of 29 data entry staff were trained for data entry activities of the TDHS-2013. The data entry of the TDHS-2013 began in late September 2013 and was completed at the end of January 2014.

The data were entered and edited on microcomputers using the Census and Survey Processing System (CSPro) software. CSPro is designed to fulfill the census and survey data processing needs of data-producing organizations worldwide. CSPro is developed by MEASURE partners, the U.S. Bureau of the Census, ICF International’s DHS Program, and SerPro S.A. CSPro allows range, skip, and consistency errors to be detected and corrected at the data entry stage. During the data entry process, 100% verification was performed by entering each questionnaire twice using different data entry operators and comparing the entered data.

Response rate

In all, 14,490 households were selected for the TDHS-2013. At the time of the listing phase of the survey, 12,640 households were considered occupied and, thus, eligible for interview. Of the eligible households, 93 percent (11,794) households were successfully interviewed. The main reasons the field teams were unable to interview some households were because some dwelling units that had been listed were found to be vacant at the time of the interview or the household was away for an extended period.

In the interviewed 11,794 households, 10,840 women were identified as eligible for the individual interview, aged 15-49 and were present in the household on the night before the interview. Interviews were successfully completed with 9,746 of these women (90 percent). Among the eligible women not interviewed in the survey, the principal reason for nonresponse was the failure to find the women at home after repeated visits to the household.

Sampling error estimates

The estimates from a sample survey are affected by two types of errors: (1) nonsampling errors, and (2) sampling errors. Nonsampling errors are the results of mistakes made in implementing data collection and data processing, such as failure to locate and interview the correct household, misunderstanding of the questions on the part of either the interviewer or the respondent, and data entry errors. Although numerous efforts were made during the implementation of the TDHS-2013 to minimize this type of error, nonsampling errors are impossible to avoid and difficult to evaluate statistically.

Sampling errors, on the other hand, can be evaluated statistically. The sample of respondents selected in the TDHS-2013 is only one of many samples that could have been selected from the same population, using the same design and expected size. Each of these samples would yield results that differ somewhat from the results of the actual sample selected. Sampling errors are a measure of the variability between all possible samples. Although the degree of variability is not known exactly, it can be estimated from the survey results.

A sampling error is usually measured in terms of the standard error for a particular statistic (mean, percentage, etc.), which is the square root of the variance. The standard error can be used to calculate confidence intervals within which the true value for the population can reasonably be assumed to fall. For example, for any given statistic calculated from a sample survey, the value of that statistic will fall

The 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (2008 NDHS) is a nationally representative survey of 13,594 women age 15-49 from 12,469 households successfully interviewed, covering 794 enumeration areas (clusters) throughout the Philippines. This survey is the ninth in a series of demographic and health surveys conducted to assess the demographic and health situation in the country. The survey obtained detailed information on fertility levels, marriage, fertility preferences, awareness and use of family planning methods, breastfeeding practices, nutritional status of women and young children, childhood mortality, maternal and child health, and knowledge and attitudes regarding HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. Also, for the first time, the Philippines NDHS gathered information on violence against women. The 2008 NDHS was conducted by the Philippine National Statistics Office (NSO). Technical assistance was provided by ICF Macro through the MEASURE DHS program. Funding for the survey was mainly provided by the Government of the Philippines. Financial support for some preparatory and processing phases of the survey was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Like previous Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in the Philippines, the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) was primarily designed to provide information on population, family planning, and health to be used in evaluating and designing policies, programs, and strategies for improving health and family planning services in the country. The 2008 NDHS also included questions on domestic violence. Specifically, the 2008 NDHS had the following objectives: Collect data at the national level that will allow the estimation of demographic rates, particularly, fertility rates by urban-rural residence and region, and under-five mortality rates at the national level. Analyze the direct and indirect factors which determine the levels and patterns of fertility. Measure the level of contraceptive knowledge and practice by method, urban-rural residence, and region. Collect data on family health: immunizations, prenatal and postnatal checkups, assistance at delivery, breastfeeding, and prevalence and treatment of diarrhea, fever, and acute respiratory infections among children under five years. Collect data on environmental health, utilization of health facilities, prevalence of common noncommunicable and infectious diseases, and membership in health insurance plans. Collect data on awareness of tuberculosis. Determine women's knowledge about HIV/AIDS and access to HIV testing. Determine the extent of violence against women. MAIN RESULTS FERTILITY Fertility Levels and Trends. There has been a steady decline in fertility in the Philippines in the past 36 years. From 6.0 children per woman in 1970, the total fertility rate (TFR) in the Philippines declined to 3.3 children per woman in 2006. The current fertility level in the country is relatively high compared with other countries in Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia, where the TFR is below 2 children per woman. Fertility Differentials. Fertility varies substantially across subgroups of women. Urban women have, on average, 2.8 children compared with 3.8 children per woman in rural areas. The level of fertility has a negative relationship with education; the fertility rate of women who have attended college (2.3 children per woman) is about half that of women who have been to elementary school (4.5 children per woman). Fertility also decreases with household wealth: women in wealthier households have fewer children than those in poorer households. FAMILY PLANNING Knowledge of Contraception. Knowledge of family planning is universal in the Philippines- almost all women know at least one method of fam-ily planning. At least 90 percent of currently married women have heard of the pill, male condoms, injectables, and female sterilization, while 87 percent know about the IUD and 68 percent know about male sterilization. On average, currently married women know eight methods of family planning. Unmet Need for Family Planning. Unmet need for family planning is defined as the percentage of currently married women who either do not want any more children or want to wait before having their next birth, but are not using any method of family planning. The 2008 NDHS data show that the total unmet need for family planning in the Philippines is 22 percent, of which 13 percent is limiting and 9 percent is for spacing. The level of unmet need has increased from 17 percent in 2003. Overall, the total demand for family planning in the Philippines is 73 percent, of which 69 percent has been satisfied. If all of need were satisfied, a contraceptive prevalence rate of about 73 percent could, theoretically, be expected. Comparison with the 2003 NDHS indicates that the percentage of demand satisfied has declined from 75 percent. MATERNAL HEALTH Antenatal Care. Nine in ten Filipino mothers received some antenatal care (ANC) from a medical professional, either a nurse or midwife (52 percent) or a doctor (39 percent). Most women have at least four antenatal care visits. More than half (54 percent) of women had an antenatal care visit during the first trimester of pregnancy, as recommended. While more than 90 percent of women who received antenatal care had their blood pressure monitored and weight measured, only 54 percent had their urine sample taken and 47 percent had their blood sample taken. About seven in ten women were informed of pregnancy complications. Three in four births in the Philippines are protected against neonatal tetanus. Delivery and Postnatal Care. Only 44 percent of births in the Philippines occur in health facilities-27 percent in a public facility and 18 percent in a private facility. More than half (56 percent) of births are still delivered at home. Sixty-two percent of births are assisted by a health professional-35 percent by a doctor and 27 percent by a midwife or nurse. Thirty-six percent are assisted by a traditional birth attendant or hilot. About 10 percent of births are delivered by C-section. The Department of Health (DOH) recommends that mothers receive a postpartum check within 48 hours of delivery. A majority of women (77 percent) had a postnatal checkup within two days of delivery; 14 percent had a postnatal checkup 3 to 41 days after delivery. CHILD HEALTH Childhood Mortality. Childhood mortality continues to decline in the Philippines. Currently, about one in every 30 children in the Philippines dies before his or her fifth birthday. The infant mortality rate for the five years before the survey (roughly 2004-2008) is 25 deaths per 1,000 live births and the under-five mortality rate is 34 deaths per 1,000 live births. This is lower than the rates of 29 and 40 reported in 2003, respectively. The neonatal mortality rate, representing death in the first month of life, is 16 deaths per 1,000 live births. Under-five mortality decreases as household wealth increases; children from the poorest families are three times more likely to die before the age of five as those from the wealthiest families. There is a strong association between under-five mortality and mother's education. It ranges from 47 deaths per 1,000 live births among children of women with elementary education to 18 deaths per 1,000 live births among children of women who attended college. As in the 2003 NDHS, the highest level of under-five mortality is observed in ARMM (94 deaths per 1,000 live births), while the lowest is observed in NCR (24 deaths per 1,000 live births). NUTRITION Breastfeeding Practices. Eighty-eight percent of children born in the Philippines are breastfed. There has been no change in this practice since 1993. In addition, the median durations of any breastfeeding and of exclusive breastfeeding have remained at 14 months and less than one month, respectively. Although it is recommended that infants should not be given anything other than breast milk until six months of age, only one-third of Filipino children under six months are exclusively breastfed. Complementary foods should be introduced when a child is six months old to reduce the risk of malnutrition. More than half of children ages 6-9 months are eating complementary foods in addition to being breastfed. The Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) guidelines contain specific recommendations for the number of times that young children in various age groups should be fed each day as well as the number of food groups from which they should be fed. NDHS data indicate that just over half of children age 6-23 months (55 percent) were fed according to the IYCF guidelines. HIV/AIDS Awareness of HIV/AIDS. While over 94 percent of women have heard of AIDS, only 53 percent know the two major methods for preventing transmission of HIV (using condoms and limiting sex to one uninfected partner). Only 45 percent of young women age 15-49 know these two methods for preventing HIV transmission. Knowledge of prevention methods is higher in urban areas than in rural areas and increases dramatically with education and wealth. For example, only 16 percent of women with no education know that using condoms limits the risk of HIV infection compared with 69 percent of those who have attended college. TUBERCULOSIS Knowledge of TB. While awareness of tuberculosis (TB) is high, knowledge of its causes and symptoms is less common. Only 1 in 4 women know that TB is caused by microbes, germs or bacteria. Instead, respondents tend to say that TB is caused by smoking or drinking alcohol, or that it is inherited. Symptoms associated with TB are better recognized. Over half of the respondents cited coughing, while 39 percent mentioned weight loss, 35 percent mentioned blood in sputum, and 30 percent cited coughing with sputum. WOMEN'S STATUS Women's Status and Employment.

Abstract

The Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) is part of the worldwide Demographic and Health Surveys program, which is designed to collect data on fertility, family planning, and maternal and child health.

The main objective of this survey is to provide policy-makers and program managers in health and family planning with detailed information on fertility and family planning, childhood mortality, maternal and child health, nutritional status of children and mothers, and awareness of HIV/AIDS. The survey consisted of two parts: a household-level survey of women and men and a community survey around the sample points from which the households were selected. Preparations for the survey started in mid-2003 and the fieldwork was carried out between January and May 2004.The urvey was conducted under the authority of the National Institute for Population Research and Training (NIPORT) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The survey was implemented by Mitra and Associates, a Bangladeshi research firm located in Dhaka. ORC Macro of Calverton, Maryland, provided technical assistance to the project as part of its international Demographic and Health Surveys program, and financial assistance was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)/Bangladesh.

In general, the objectives of the BDHS are to: - Assess the overall demographic situation in Bangladesh - Assist in the evaluation of the population and health programs in Bangladesh - Advance survey methodology.

More specifically, the objective of the BDHS survey is to provide up-to-date information on fertility and childhood mortality levels; nuptiality; fertility preferences; awareness, approval, and use of family planning methods; breastfeeding practices; nutrition levels; and maternal and child health. This information is intended to assist policymakers and administrators in evaluating and designing programs and strategies for improving health and family planning services in the country.

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

• Household
• Children under five years
• Women age 10-49
• Men age 15-54

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

The sample for the 2004 BDHS covered the entire population residing in private dwellings units in the country. Administratively, Bangladesh is divided into six divisions. In turn, each division is divided into zilas, and in turn each zila into upazilas. Each urban area in the upazila is divided into wards, and into mahallas within the ward; each rural area in the upazila is divided into union parishads (UP) and into mouzas within the UPs. The urban areas were stratified into three groups, i) Standard metropolitan areas, ii) Municipality areas, and iii) Other urban areas. These divisions allow the country as a whole to be easily separated into rural and urban areas.

For the 2001 census, subdivisions called enumeration areas (EAs) were created based on a convenient number of dwellings units. Because sketch maps of EAs were accessible, EAs were considered suitable to use as primary sampling units (PSUs) for the 2004 BDHS. In each division, the list of EAs constituted the sample frame for the 2004 BDHS survey.

A target number of completed interviews with eligible women for the 2004 BDHS was set at 10,000, based on information from the 1999-2000 BDHS. The 2004 BDHS sample is a stratified, a multistage cluster sample consisting of 361 PSUs, 122 in the urban area and 239 in the rural area. After the target sample was allocated to each group area according to urban and rural areas, the number of PSUs was calculated in terms of an average of 28 completed interviews of eligible women per PSU (or an average of 30 selected households per PSU).

Mitra and Associates conducted a household listing operation in all the sample points from 3 October 2003 to 15 December 2003. A systematic sample of 10,811 households was then selected from these lists. All ever-married women age 10-49 in the selected households were eligible respondents for the women's questionnaire. For the men's survey, 50 percent of the selected households were chosen through systematic sampling. Interviewers interviewed one randomly selected man, regardless of marital status, in the age group 15-54, from each of the selected households. It was expected that the sample would yield interviews with approximately 10,000 ever-married women age 10-49 and 4,400 men age 15-54.

Note: See detailed in APPENDIX A of the survey report.

Sampling deviation

Data collected for women 10-49, indicators calculated for women 15-49.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face

Research instrument

The BDHS used a Household Questionnaire, a Women’s Questionnaire, a Men’s Questionnaire, and a Community Questionnaire. The contents of these questionnaires was based on MEASURE DHS+ model questionnaire. These model questionnaires were adapted for use in Bangladesh during a series of meetings with the Technical Task Force, which consisted of representatives from NIPORT, Mitra and Associates, USAID/Dhaka, ICDDR,B’s Center for Health and Population Research, Bangladesh, Pathfinder/Dhaka, and ORC Macro. Draft questionnaires were then circulated to other interested groups and were reviewed by the BDHS Technical Review Committee. The questionnaires were developed in English and then translated into and printed in Bangla. In addition, two versions of a Verbal Autopsy Questionnaire were used. One version was for neonatal deaths (0-28 days old at death) and the other was for deaths among older children (age 29 days to 5 years at death). The verbal autopsy instruments were developed using the previous two BDHS verbal autopsy surveys, the WHO verbal autopsy questionnaire, and the instrument used since 2003 in the Matlab Health and Demographic Surveillance System.

The Household Questionnaire was used to list all the usual members and visitors in the selected households. Some basic information was collected on the characteristics of each person listed, including his/her age, sex, education, and relationship to the head of the household. The main purpose of the Household Questionnaire was to identify women and men who were eligible for individual interview. In addition, information was collected about the dwelling itself, such as the source of water, type of toilet facilities, materials used to construct the house, and ownership of various consumer goods. The arsenic level of the water used by households for drinking was also tested. The Household Questionnaire was also used to record the heights and weights of all children under six years of age.

The Women’s Questionnaire was used to collect information from ever-married women age 10-49. These women were asked questions on the following topics: - Background characteristics (age, education, religion, etc.) - Reproductive history - Knowledge and use of family planning methods - Antenatal and delivery care - Breastfeeding and weaning practices - Vaccinations and health of children under age five - Marriage - Fertility preferences - Husband’s background and respondent’s work - Awareness of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases - Causes of deaths of children under five years of age

The Men’s Questionnaire was used to collect information from men age 15-54 whether ever married or not. The men were asked questions on the following topics: - Background characteristics (including respondent’s work) - Health and life style (illness, use of tobacco) - Marriage and sexual activity - Participation in reproductive health care - Awareness of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases - Attitudes on women’s decision making roles - Domestic violence

The Community Questionnaire was completed for each sample cluster and included questions about the existence of development organizations in the community and the availability and accessibility of health and family planning services.

The Verbal Autopsy Questionnaire was used for collection of open-ended information including narrative stories on the following topics: - Identification including detailed address of respondent - Informed consent - Detailed age description of deceased child - Information about caretaker or respondent of deceased child - Detailed birth and delivery information - Open-ended section allowing the respondent to provide a narrative history - Maternal history including questions on prenatal care, labor and delivery, and obstetrical complications - Information about accidental deaths - Detailed signs and symptoms preceding death - Treatment module and information on direct, underlying - Contributing causes of death from the death certificate, if available.

Cleaning operations

All questionnaires for the BDHS were periodically returned to Dhaka for data processing at Mitra and Associates. The processing of the data collected began shortly after the fieldwork commenced. The processing operation consisted of office editing, coding of open-ended questions, data entry, and editing inconsistencies found by the computer programs. The data were processed on six microcomputers working in double shifts and carried out by 10 data entry operators and two data entry supervisors. The concurrent processing of the data was an advantage since the quality control teams were able to advise field teams of problems detected during the data entry. In particular, tables were generated to check various data quality parameters. Data processing commenced on 12 January 2004 and was completed by 24 June 2004.

Response rate

A total of 10,811 households were selected for the sample; 10,523 were occupied, of which 10,500 were

The typical American picture of a family with 2.5 kids might not be as relevant as it once was: In 2023, there was an average of 1.94 children under 18 per family in the United States. This is a decrease from 2.33 children under 18 per family in 1960.

Familial structure in the United States

If there’s one thing the United States is known for, it’s diversity. Whether this is diversity in ethnicity, culture, or family structure, there is something for everyone in the U.S. Two-parent households in the U.S. are declining, and the number of families with no children are increasing. The number of families with children has stayed more or less constant since 2000.

Adoptions in the U.S.

Families in the U.S. don’t necessarily consist of parents and their own biological children. In 2021, around 35,940 children were adopted by married couples, and 13,307 children were adopted by single women.

In 2022, 97.4 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 19 years old in the United States were childless -- the most out of any age group. In the same year, 17.7 percent of women between the ages of 40 and 44 years old were childless. Demographics of women without children As of 2022, a little less than half of all women in the U.S. were childless. About 68.4 percent of women without children did not have a high school degree, which is in line with the largest percentage of childless women being between the ages of 15 and 19. Additionally, about 48 percent of Asian women in the United States did not have any children, more than the national average. Births in the U.S. Asian women in the United States have the lowest fertility rate per 1,000 women, while Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women had the highest fertility rate. The vast majority of all births in the U.S. were to women between the ages of 20 and 39, but it is worth noting that births in the United States have been declining over the past few decades.

In 2023, there were about 15.09 million children living with a single mother in the United States, and about 3.05 million children living with a single father. The number of children living with a single mother is down from its peak in 2012, and the number of children living with a single father is down from its peak in 2005.

Marriage and divorce in the United States

Despite popular opinion in the United States that “half of all marriages end in divorce,” the divorce rate in the U.S. has fallen significantly since 1992. The marriage rate, which has also been decreasing since the 1990s, was still higher than the divorce rate in 2021. Half of all marriages may not end in divorce, but it does seem that fewer people are choosing to get married in the first place.

New family structures

In addition to a falling marriage rate, fewer people in the U.S. have children under the age of 18 living in the house in comparison to 1970. Over the past decade, the share of families with children under 18, whether that be married couples or single parents, has stayed mostly steady, although the number of births in the U.S. has also fallen.