1990 POPULATION CENSUS Detailed data based on a 2 per cent representative sample (1992)

I. REVIEW OF THE DATA - A/ Main characteristics of the population

9. The population aged 15 and over by marital status and sex (percentage) Marital status Male Female Marital status 1970 1980 1990 1970 1980 1990 Never married 24.7 22.0 24.5 17.2 13.8 15.7 Married 69.9 70.8 66.2 63.8 64.3 59.2 Widowed 3.2 3.5 3.7 15.2 16.3 17.4 Divorced 2.2 3.7 5.6 3.8 5.6 7.7 Totál 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 The population census data of female fertility show a great decrease during the decades. In 1920 the number of children per 100 married females was still 362, till 1970 it feli to 201 and till 1980 already to 189. In the last decade this decline stopped. In 1920 more than 40 per cent of married women gave birth to four or more children, in 1980 this proportion was already only 9 per cent and by the end of the decade it feli to 6 per cent. In the last decades already the proportion of females having given birth to two children was the highest: in 1980 39 per cent and in 1990 46 per cent. Since 1920 the greatest change has occurred in the proportion of women having given birth to two children, since 1960 their proportion has been constantly growing and is now overwhelming. 10. Fertility of married women (percentage) Year Totál Number of liveborn children Liveborn children Year Totál 0 1 2 3 4-X per 100 women 1920 100.0 17. .9 16. .6 12.5 10.9 1930 100.0 17. .1 16. .9 16.5 12.8 1949 100.0 18. .4 22. .3 20.7 13.1 1960 100.0 15, .1 25. .3 25.8 13.8 1970 100.0 13, .8 29, .2 31.0 12.7 1980 100.0 11. .9 27. .9 39.1 12.3 1990 100.0 8, .7 25, .6 46.1 13.2 42.2 362 36.7 327 25.6 257 19.8 232 13.2 ' 201 8.8 189 6.4 190 The married females' fertility data by age-groups show that women terminate their fertility much before the upper limit of childbearing age. The fertility rates of the 30-39 year old and, respectively, 0-49 year old married females get closer and closer to one another. It was, primarily, the growing indicators of the 30-39 year old women which exerted an influence on the small growth in the fertility of married females of childbearing age. In 1950-1954 a generation of outstandingly high number was born. When this generation entered childbearing age, a series of population policy measures were introduced with the purpose to stimulate the willingness to childbearing, promising and ensuring support for the rearing of children. As a result of the population policy, in this high-number generation, the willingness to give birth to children increased. 10