Date of Graduation

Spring 5-18-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in International and Development Economics (MSIDEC)

College/School

College of Arts and Sciences

Department/Program

Economics

First Advisor

Alessandra Cassar

Abstract

This study aimed to measure the possible impact endogamous (within-family) marriage practices could have on women's fertility gaps in India. Fertility gap in this study is defined as the difference between the ideal number of children a woman desires and the total number of children born to a woman at time of interview. In many developing countries ,such as India, it is common for women to be overachieving their fertility - having more children than desired. Data from the CIA.gov (2024) shows total fertility rates to be highest in developing areas across Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and India. The persistence of overachieving fertility has been linked to low female autonomy and empowerment, lack of family planning knowledge and use of contraceptive methods (Bhat, P. N. M. (2009). Data for this study was collected from the Demographic and Health Survey Program for the country of India for the years 2019-2021, looking at female respondents only. Results from this empirical analysis did not find statistical significance regarding marrying familial relatives and women’s fertility gaps. However, there was significance for women overachieving their fertility when they belong to scheduled caste and live in rural households, along with those who belong to Hindu and Sikh religious groups.

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