ABSTRACT
The Arab World belongs to the group of countries in which the demographic transition is in full swing, as both fertility and mortality have declined considerably over the last few decades. At first glance, the Arab World is experiencing the same kind of demographic processes Europe went through in the past, only later and faster. However, a closer investigation of the key variables involved in the transition uncovers some important differences in the mechanisms behind fertility decline. Whereas in Europe the fertility decline (during the first demographic transition) was the result of birth control within marriage, in the Arab world fertility decline is also driven by rising ages at marriage that in turn shortens the reproductive career of women (Rashad 2000; Rashad and Khadr 2002; Fargues 2005).
