Fertility preferences in Indonesia

Abstract

In the past, the majority of Indonesian women preferred a large number of children – five or more. The mean ideal number of children has fallen over time from 3.2 in 1987 to 2.6 in 2012. Differences in ideal number of children by age group have tended to become smaller. Desire for an additional child is strongly related to the number of living children a woman already has. The proportions desiring more children roughly halve with each additional child for women with one, two, three and four children. The sharp reduction after the second child suggests widespread agreement with the two-child family norm. The “Two children are enough” slogan has clearly gained continuous support in Indonesia where the two child preference has increased over time. Regional differences in expressed fertility preferences have persisted over time, but are narrowing down with the levelling off of overall fertility levels over time.