Table 9. Differences in Family Size Preferences

Average Desired Family Sizea Among Married Men and Women of Reproductive Age, 1990-2002

Region, Country & Year Average Desired Family Size Difference in Average
Desired Family Sizeb
Married Men Married Women
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Benin 1996 8.5 5.8 2.7
Benin 2001 7.5 5.2 2.3
Burkina Faso 1993 7.8 5.9 1.9
Burkina Faso 1998-99 7.9 5.9 2.0
Cameroon 1991 11.2 7.3 3.9
Cameroon 1998 8.7 6.5 2.2
Cape Verde 1998 2.8 2.6 0.2
Central African Rep. 1994-95 9.0 6.7 2.3
Chad 1996-97 15.1 8.5 6.6
Comoros 1996 6.4 5.7 0.7
Côte d'Ivoire 1994 6.9 6.0 0.9
Côte d'Ivoire 1998-99 7.5 5.9 1.6
Eritrea 1995 7.8 6.6 1.2
Ethiopia 2000 7.7 5.8 1.9
Gabon 2000 6.8 5.4 1.4
Ghana 1993 6.9 4.7 2.2
Ghana 1998 5.2 4.6 0.6
Guinea 1999 8.5 5.9 2.6
Kenya 1993 4.1 3.9 0.2
Kenya 1998 4.3 4.1 0.2
Malawi 1992 5.4 5.3 0.1
Malawi 2000 5.4 5.3 0.1
Mali 1995-96 9.2 6.8 2.4
Mali 2001 8.5 6.5 2.0
Mozambique 1997 8.1 6.2 1.9
Niger 1992 12.7 8.5 4.2
Niger 1998 12.3 8.5 3.8
Rwanda 1992 4.3 4.4 -0.1
Rwanda 2000 4.9 5.0 -0.1
Senegal 1992-93 10.3 6.3 4.0
Senegal 1997 9.4 5.7 3.7
Tanzania 1991-92 7.4 6.4 1.0
Tanzania 1996 6.7 5.9 0.8
Tanzania 1999 6.7 5.7 1.0
Togo 1998 6.0 4.9 1.1
Uganda 1995 6.3 5.6 0.7
Uganda 2000-01 6.2 5.1 1.1
Zambia 1996 6.6 5.7 0.9
Zambia 2001-02 5.9 5.1 0.8
Zimbabwe 1994 4.9 4.7 0.2
Zimbabwe 1999 4.5 4.3 0.2
NEAR EAST & NORTH AFRICA
Egypt 1992 3.3 2.9 0.4
Mauritania 2001 8.7 6.8 1.9
Morocco 1992 4.1 3.9 0.2
Turkey 1998 2.7 2.5 0.2
ASIA
Bangladesh 1996-97 2.4 2.5 -0.1
Bangladesh 1999-2000 2.4 2.5 -0.1
Nepal 2001 2.8 2.6 0.2
Pakistan 1990-91 4.2 4.1 0.1
LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
Bolivia 1998 3.2 2.8 0.4
Brazil 1996 2.9 2.5 0.4
Dominican Rep. 1996 3.8 3.4 0.4
Guatemala 2002 3.7 3.7 0.0
Haiti 1994-95 3.6 3.4 0.2
Haiti 2000 3.5 3.3 0.2
Honduras 2001c 3.4 3.0 0.4
Nicaragua 1998 3.4 3.0 0.4
Peru 1996 2.8 2.7 0.1
CENTRAL ASIA
Kazakhstan 1999 3.4 3.0 0.4
a The averages exclude men and women who gave nonnumeric responses.
b Difference between men's and women's desired family size. Negative numbers indicate a higher desired family size among women than among men.
c Among all men and women.