Natalitat

Natilitat, or natality, is a term in demography that refers to the incidence of births in a population over a defined period. It is one of the components of population change, along with mortality and net migration. Natalitat is typically summarized using several indicators: the crude birth rate (births per 1,000 people per year); the general or age-specific fertility rates; and the total fertility rate (TFR), which estimates the average number of children a woman would bear over her lifetime if current age-specific rates persisted. The replacement level fertility is about 2.1 children per woman in most industrialized countries; higher in countries with higher child mortality.

Other measures include the gross reproduction rate (GRR), which measures the potential number of daughters a woman would bear, and the net reproduction rate (NRR), which adjusts for mortality.

Determinants: natalitat is influenced by biological factors (fertility, birth intervals) and socioeconomic factors (education, income, urbanization, marriage patterns, access to contraception, female labor participation, childrearing costs, cultural norms).

Global patterns: natalitat varies widely by region and level of development. In many high-income countries fertility rates have fallen below replacement level, contributing to aging populations; several low- and middle-income countries still exhibit higher natality but are often undergoing a fertility transition.

Policy aspects: governments may influence natalitat through family policies (maternity/paternity leave, childcare support, tax credits) and social norms, but effects are debated and depend on context.

Limitations: data quality, registration systems, and definitional differences complicate cross-country comparisons. Natalitat interacts with mortality and migration to determine population growth or decline.