Fertility Transition in Africa: What do we know and what have we learned about Fertility Stalls?

The purpose of this chapter is to review the literature on fertility stalls in Africa. The first section provides a descriptive approach of the demographic transition since the 1950s, while the second looks at the unusual pace of fertility decline from the 1990s from a comparative perspective. The third section summarizes the halts and reversals in fertility decline from the early 2000s. First, the methods used to define a fertility stall are described. Then, the stall periods and studies by country where the slowdowns occurred are identified and listed. The fourth section describes the analyses conducted on the fertility dynamics during stall periods, such as the changes in the proximate determinants of fertility, birth intervals, fertility desires, and fertility preferences. The fifth section summarizes the studies analyzing the potential causes of fertility stalls, such as education, wealth, HIV, and under-five mortality, among others. Finally, the sixth section draws conclusions from the reviewed studies, and the seventh proposes a research agenda from the gaps in literature.