The 1960s saw the start of a sustained process of declining fertility in Latin America resulting from radical social, attitudinal, and economic changes. There has been a clear trend towards more or less generalized behaviour of regulating fertility, coincident with a rise in the availability and use of methods of contraception. There are, however, important differences between and within the countries of the region, which are analysed in full in this volume.

Whether one stratifies by demographic factors, place of residence, education, or social status, from the beginning of the transition, it seems that a variety of reproductive patterns were in existence. It is also clear that the process of transition is not yet complete and that in some important social groups, fertility is still high.

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This volume studies the process of transition from high to low fertility as it has occurred and is occurring in Latin America. It provides a general comparative overview of transition in the region in which the link between socio-economic development and declining fertility is explored. There are sections on the process through which the transition occurs, social determinants of fertility change, and the consequences of fertility decline.

Large data sets from census and survey results for many countries and points in time are presented in over 150 tables and figures. The comparative analyses are complemented by five individual country studies in the final section.