Читать книгу Demographic Dynamics and Development - Yves Charbit - Страница 26

A period of strong growth in the Latin American population began in the mid-20th century, following the decline in mortality. Between 1950 and 1970, natural increase rates rose to over 2.5%, reaching 2.75% per year between 1960 and 1965 (Cosio Zavala 1998). This was a consequence of the decrease in mortality, increase in nuptiality and high fertility. Indeed, a Latin American union boom was observed between 1950 and 1960¹⁹. The percentages of women in union increased, with particularly early unions and universal nuptiality (as was the case of Nicaragua between 1950 and 1960, where 60% of women between 20 and 24 years old were in union, as well as 97% of women aged 50). It was only in the southern countries of South America (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay) that unions came later, although these increased during the period of the union boom (Camisa 1978).

Fertility in Latin America remained very high before 1965, and all countries showed indicators of between 6 and 7.4 children per woman, with the exception of a few countries with moderate fertility (between three and five children per woman), such as Argentina, Chile, Cuba and Uruguay (United Nations 2019a, Fert/4). High fertility was the result of the association of a lasting marital life, natural fertility in couples (who did not control their births), early and intense nuptiality, the decline in mortality which reduced intrauterine mortality and widowhood (divorce being very rare in those times) and the reduction in the infertility of couples, thanks to medical, nutritional and health progress.