Migration and Fertility in Uganda: Analysis of the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey

Paulino Ariho, Makerere University
John A Mushomi, African Institute for Development Policy
Fred Maniragaba, Makerere University
Abel Nzabona, Centre for Basic Research, Kampala

There is paucity of information on the fertility of migrants. This paper compares the fertility of migrant and non-migrant women in Uganda and also quantifies the factors associated with the migration-fertility differential by analyzing the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey. This study finds significantly lower fertility among migrants compared to non-migrants and observes some differences in the predictors of fertility of migrant women and non-migrant women. The decomposition results indicate that 51% of the difference in fertility of migrants and non-migrants was associated with variation in the socioeconomic and demographic composition of the women while the remaining 49% can be attributed to variation in fertility behavior of the two groups of women. The major factors associated with the fertility difference were differences in composition by; marital status, ideal number of children, ever use of family planning, education, wealth, current working status and co-wife status.