ABSTRACT
Oman, a traditional Muslim country on the Arabian Peninsula, has experienced a rapid fertility transition in recent times from 8.6 births per woman in 1988 to 3.3 births per woman in 2008, a decline of 5.3 births per woman or a 62% decline within a short period of 20 years; by 2018, the fertility rate increased to 3.9 births per woman, still well below the 1988 level. The steep decline in fertility in Oman occurred in the absence of any official birth control policy as well as with a low level of use of contraceptives and unchanging but high levels of desired fertility. Delayed age at marriage and childbearing is the most prominent factor of Oman’s fertility decline. Government policy toward improvement of reproductive health of mothers through a birth spacing program, modernization, educational attainment of women, and women’s increased participation in the workforce are other major factors that affect the reproductive behavior of women and thus helped reduce fertility in Oman. Oman’s unique “Birth Spacing Program” provides counseling for reasonable spacing between births, avoiding high-risk pregnancy through effective use of modern family planning methods, and helping couples conceive when they desire.
