Proximate Determinants of Fertility in Eastern Africa: The case of Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania

This study presents some determinants of fertility for three countries in east Africa. It examines the role of the proximate determinants of fertility to total births during last five years before the surveys in Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. The study is based on the analysis of secondary data obtained from Demographic and Health Surveys in the three countries. The surveys were conducted between 2014 and 2016. The response variable used in this study is the number of births in the last five years before the survey. The study employed Quasi-Poisson regression model as the main method of data analysis. The results show that place of residence, working status, number of union, age at first birth, age at first cohabitation, age at first sex, contraceptive use and intention, unmet need and educational level mothers are significant determinants of fertility. Moreover, the findings of this study indicate that educational level of mothers has negative impact on fertility. For current contraceptive users, the mean birth for the last five years is highest for Kenya followed by Tanzania. For those who never use contraception, the mean births for the last five years for Rwanda is lower as compared to Tanzania and Kenya. The mean births for working mothers is also lower than that of non-working mothers for all three countries. The study suggests that improving the educational level of mothers, increasing the use of contraception, and involving more women to work force can reduce fertility in the three countries.