W. Visayas fertility rates linked to poverty, inequality

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Fertility trends in Western Visayas are increasingly shaped by poverty and educational inequality, the Commission on Population and Development said, calling for population policies aligned with broader socioeconomic development strategies.

CPD 6 Regional Director Harold Alfred P. Marshall, speaking at the 2025 National Demographic and Health Survey Regional Dissemination Forum, said national fertility outcomes remain closely linked to socioeconomic conditions.

Citing national NDHS data, Marshall said fertility rates are significantly higher among poorer households than among wealthier families.

“In the country, fertility is significantly higher among poorer households at 2.8 compared to 1.1 among the richest,” he said during his presentation.

He added that women with lower educational attainment also tend to have higher fertility levels.

“This indicates that fertility outcomes are not purely behavioral but structurally determined,” Marshall said.

“It’s not only a matter of reducing or adding more children. There are other variables that need to be considered,” he said.

The discussion followed the release of regional NDHS findings showing fertility in Western Visayas has generally declined over the past three decades.

The region’s total fertility rate fell from 4.2 children per woman ages 15 to 49 in 1993 to 1.9 in 2025, covering the three years preceding the survey.

The figure is below the replacement-level fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman, the threshold considered necessary for a population to sustain itself across generations.

Marshall said the region’s declining fertility rate presents both opportunities and long-term concerns.

“A fertility rate of 1.9 combined with high inflation creates a tricky policy environment,” he said, adding that the trend signals both demographic slowdown and short-term economic strain.

He said continued fertility decline could contribute to premature population aging and future labor force shortages if levels remain below replacement rate over time.

Marshall said population and reproductive health strategies should be integrated with poverty reduction and socioeconomic development programs rather than treated solely as health interventions.

Among the CPD’s priority areas are expanded access to quality education—particularly for girls—strengthened social protection programs, and localized family planning initiatives targeting underserved, high-poverty communities.

Marshall pointed to a gap between fertility preferences and actual family planning practices in the region.

Data showed that 53.1 percent of married women in Western Visayas no longer want additional children, while 17.8 percent prefer to delay childbirth.

However, only 38 percent of all women and 61.9 percent of married women reported using family planning methods.

Marshall said the figures underscore the need to strengthen the continuity and quality of reproductive health care services, not just the availability of contraceptive commodities.

He also emphasized addressing behavioral and informational barriers to family planning and encouraging greater male participation in reproductive health decisions.

“The region’s population and development policy remains anchored on the promotion of human and reproductive agency, rights, and choices towards optimizing population dynamics for inclusive and sustainable development,” Marshall said.

The 2025 NDHS provides updated demographic and health indicators designed to guide policymakers and development planners in crafting programs on fertility, reproductive health, maternal care, adolescent health, and broader population strategies.