The Relationship between the Age Structure of Females Aged (15–49 Years) and Fertility Levels in Urban and Rural Areas of Al-Marj Region during the Period (1973–2006)

Abstract

The study aims to analyze the relationship between the age structure of females of reproductive
age (15–49 years) and fertility levels in urban and rural areas of the Al-Marj region during the
period 1973–2006, based on data from the general population censuses. The results indicate an
increase in the proportion of females of reproductive age in both urban and rural areas,
reflecting an expansion of the reproductive base—particularly in urban areas—without a
corresponding rise in fertility rates.
In contrast, total fertility rates declined markedly over the same period, falling from high levels
in 1973 to around two children per woman by 2006. This decline was accompanied by a
gradual shift of peak childbearing toward the middle age groups and a reduced contribution of
younger age groups, especially in urban areas. These trends reflect the impact of social,
economic, and educational transformations, such as delayed age at marriage, higher levels of
female education, and the spread of the small-family norm, as well as the narrowing of urban–
rural fertility differentials due to the diffusion of the demographic transition into rural areas.