Significant Decrease in 'Average Fertility Rate' in Iranian Families

The head of the Health Committee of the Women's and Family Council of Iran states that the average fertility rate of Iranian families has decreased threefold compared to the year 1368 (1989). Meanwhile, according to the Director General of the Office of Health, Population, and Family at the Ministry of Health, 11 million girls and boys in Iran are on the verge of marriage, while their normal fertility age is passing. On Tuesday, November 26, Mohammad Ismail Motlaq, the Director General of the Office of Health, Population, and Family at the Ministry of Health, told the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) that the second factor contributing to the decline in fertility rates in Iran, after not having children, is the delay in marriage age. According to Mr. Motlaq, there are provinces in Iran that are considered aging according to studies, and the solution to this issue is to increase marriage and reduce divorce. Based on statistics from the Ministry of Health, there are currently about six million elderly people in Iran who require special attention. Total fertility refers to the average number of children a woman gives birth to during her reproductive years. Mr. Motlaq stated that the number of marriages in the year 1392 (2013) decreased by about 60,000 compared to 1391 (2012), and he predicted that this number would also decrease this year. Simultaneously, Khalil Ali Mohammadzadeh, head of the Health Committee of the Women's and Family Council, said that the average number of children per family, which was about six in 1368, has now dropped to less than two, indicating a reduction of more than three times. Mr. Mohammadzadeh also mentioned that in 1368, for every 1,000 people, 23 were added to the country's population annually, but now this number has also decreased by more than two times. The head of the Health Committee of the Women's and Family Council emphasized that while population control can be intensified, increasing the population is challenging, and the speed of population control does not correspond with population growth. He noted that the population under 15 years in a developing country should be 40%, but currently, this demographic in Iran is 23%. Population policies in the Islamic Republic of Iran have undergone a significant shift in recent years, transitioning from encouraging population reduction in the 1970s to promoting population growth. In this context, Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has repeatedly emphasized the importance of childbearing in recent years, and the parliament has also passed plans and bills regarding this issue.