Determinants of Fertility and Child Mortality in Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana

摘要

This paper examines the relationship between child mortality and fertility in twoneighboring West African countries: Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana. We first explore separately the reduced form determinants of fertility and child mortality, as explained by individual, household and community characteristics. Fertility is somewhat higher in Cote d'Ivoire than in Ghana and appears not to have changed recently in either country. Child mortality is high, with about 16 percent of children dying before their fifth birthday. Women's education beyond the primary level is associated with substantially lower fertility in both countries. However, in Cote d'Ivoire, income, assets and mother's height are positively related to fertility, while in Ghana they are associated with lower fertility. These results suggest that Ghana is farther along in its fertility transition than is Cote d'Ivoire. Female education has a smaller effect on child mortality in Cote d'Ivoire, where relatively fewer women are educated, than in Ghana. Further development of women's education in both countries is likely to play a significant role in bringing child mortality under control and slowing population growth.