FEATURES OF FERTILITY AND MARRIAGE IN THE CAPITALS OF EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

Abstract

Demographic research is mainly aimed at analysing the diff erences between marriage and birth rates in urban and rural areas. Th ere is much less investigations which study the particularities of these demographic processes within the big cities. The special status of the capital city reinforces the interest of researchers to it. However, the capital city is oft en considered as particular district of the country and compared to other regions or provinces which may include urban and rural areas. Th e purpose of the proposed paper is to fi nd out the peculiarities of marriage and fertility in Kiev and other capitals of some countries of Eastern Europe on the background of the general characteristics of these processes (national level and urban area level), to identify similarities and diff erences between them. Th is research presented fi rst revealed common and specifi c characteristics of marriage, divorce and fertility in the capital cities of Eastern European countries. Th e study used such methods of scientifi c knowledge as comparison, analysis, generalization, graphical method. Demographic yearbooks of Poland, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Ukraine for 2009-2018, and statistics from statistical sites in these countries and Slovakia were used for the detailed analysis. Th e important conditions for using statistical information were free access to it and the same methodology for calculating demographic indicators involved in the analysis. Among the common features of the development of demographic processes in the capital cities of the selected countries our attention was attracted by aging of marriage and motherhood which rate exceeded level in the whole country. Th e share of marriages aft er 30 years, the share of children born to women aged 35 and over among all births, the mean age of mothers at the birth in the capitals were considerable higher than the corresponding national indicators. Diff erences between capitals in the dynamics and structure of the processes of formation and dissolution of marriages are largely caused by national characteristics of the marital-family behaviour. In our study we question the universality of the well-known statement that big cities tend to have lower fertility rates comparison to other areas of country. Th e fertility level in some capitals could be both below and above the national average level.

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