number of live births within a given year

Crude Birth Rate (CBR)= ×100 0

mid− year population

1,125
ArubaCBR ( 1980 )= ×1000
59,909

¿ 18.78

1, 244
ArubaCBR ( 2015 )= ×1000
109,242

¿ 11.39

The crude birth rate is the most widely used measure of fertility and is a measure of

the number of live births in a geographical space per 1000 persons at mid-year population. In

Aruba 1980, there were 19 births per 1,000 persons in the population which is considered

normal. In 2015 crude birth rate decreased to 11 births per 1,000 persons in the population

this considered low. Several factors may have caused this decline which includes: economic

factors; education; and women in labour force; religion; contraceptive use; cohabitation,

marriage and divorce and; postponement of marriage. An increase in economic development

that includes an increase in the formal labour market, a higher level of education attainment

and a move away from agriculture have seemingly risen persons standards of living which

coincides with a lower fertility rate (University of Misourri). Population aging has also

resulted in fertility rate decrease. Aging of Aruba’s population can be depicted by the mean

age of the population. In 1980, Aruba population mean age was 29.8 whilst in 2015 the

population mean rose to 40.1 (Helen, 1993; Worldometer, 2019)

Richard Easterlin (1987) theory sought to explain fertility shift in terms of economic

situation. This theory is divided into two parts: the effect of relative numbers on employment

and income and; the effect birth rate has on the number of young to older adults. Easterlin

theory on income is of the view that the earning power of a couple is influenced by fertility
and marriage. The second part of the theory can be understood best when there is a great

quantity of young workers which decreases the marriage and by extension fertility. Unlike

Easterlin theory, the economic theory on fertility is more of an incentive effect and posited

that educated women have a greater opportunity cost.

Educational attainment is very important in explaining movements in fertility. A

higher level of female education is aligned with lower fertility rate. Fertility and female

education can be view in terms of supply and demand (Pradhan, 2015). Supply refers to the

amount of children a woman is capable of having whilst demand describes the number of

children a couple is willing to have. The household bargaining model implies that women

with higher level of education are better able to take care of themselves and have more power

in controlling family size. Theorists have postulated that better educated women want lesser

children than women uneducated. Over the years there have been an increase in female

employment (UOM). Changes in female roles have changed the structure of the family, child

bearing desires and increased independence which ultimately decreases fertility rate. There is

also a difference in fertility whereby women living in rural areas would display higher

fertility rate when compared to women living in urban areas. Literacy in Aruba is very high.

Of the people aged between 10-75 years, only 2% are illiterate (Helen, 1993). According to

Pan American Health Organization (2012), in a study conducted in Aruba in 2008, of the

6335 workers in the public sector 52.5% were females and in the private sector 51.4%

females. The statistics observed for the labour force population shows that society has

changed, it has moved from a time when predominantly males occupied the labour force to a

time when both males and females contribute the labour force. Women ease of access to

education can be credited for this. In essence as the population becomes more educated and

more urban fertility decreases. In 2000 the teenage fertility in Aruba was 5.1 in every 100
women aged 15-19 years compared to 1991 when the rate was 5.8 in every 100 women

(Central Bureau of Statistics, 2002).

Religion and contraceptive use play a very important role in increasing or decreasing

fertility rate. Religion indirectly affects fertility if it is the belief that marriage is the

appropriate union for child bearing. The number of persons in Aruba that have skyrocketed

from 3.3% in 1981 to 6.7% in 2000 (Central Bureau of Statistics, 2002). In 2007, there were

5.1 marriages per 1000 persons in the population and 4.0 divorces per 1000 persons in the

population (Pan American Health Organization, 2012). Different religions hold separate

beliefs as it relates to marriage. Catholics condemns divorce whilst Protestants understand

that marriages do fail and may end with a divorce (University of Misourri). Roman

Catholicism faith is the largest religion in Aruba- in 1991, 86.2% of the population was

Catholic and in 2000 the Catholic population decreased to 80.8% (Helen, 1993). In essence

fertility rate is affected by the religious practice by the society. Fertility rates have been

declining and contraceptives use have been rising. In recent times there have been an increase

in the amount of contraceptives there is and information surrounding each. Contraceptives are

also easier to access than previous times. According to United Nation database, developing

countries have increased their contraceptive usage by 20% between 1990 and 2000. Bouge,

Hogan and Tsui (1978) theorized couples that have a smaller family size are more

knowledgeable of contraceptive which enables them to have their desired family size. Not

only has fertility decreased in Aruba but there has been a decrease in the number of children

per household. In 1981 the average number of persons per household was about 4.04 when

compared to 2000 when there were 3.09 persons per household (Central Bureau of Statistics,

2002)
References

Central Bureau of Statistics. (2002, February). The People of Aruba, Continuity and Change:

Census 2000 Special Reports. http://cbs.aw/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/05-02-

Aa_The_People_of_Aruba_Continuity_and_Change.pdf

Helens, F.C.H. (1993, December). The population of Aruba: A demographic profile.

http://cbs.aw/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/05-02-

Aa_The_population_of_Aruba_a_demographic_profile.pdf

Pan American Health Organization. (2012). Health in the Americas: Aruba.

https://www.citationmachine.net/mla/cite-a-website/search?q=https%3A%2F

%2Fwww.paho.org%2Fsalud-en-las-americas-2012%2Findex.php%3Foption

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pais-23%26alias%3D187-aruba-187%26Itemid%3D231%26lang

%3Den&style=mla&utm_source=owl-text

Pradhan, E. (2015, November 27). The relationship between women’s education and fertility.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/11/the-relationship-between-womens-

education-and-fertility/

Worldometer. (2019). Aruba Demographics. https://www.worldometers.info/world-

population/aruba-population/