The impact of value-attitude orientations on the ideals of childbearing in Iran

The ideal number of children is one of the important indicators in the study of future fertility change. This paper examines the impact of value-attitude variables on fertility preferences and ideals of 14906 samples of respondents over 15 years of age living in urban and rural areas of the country. using a secondary analysis of the National Survey of Values and Attitudes of Iranians collected in 2015. The findings indicate that where the ideal of two children among Iranians 48.1%, around 43% referred to the three children and more as the ideal of childbearing. The results of multivariate analysis show that even with the control of economic-social and demographic variables, value-attitude orientations such as attitude towards gender equality and religiosity have significant effect on the childbearing preferences of individuals. Individuals with a traditional gender perspective have 13 percent more ideals than modern ones, and individuals with moderate religiousness have 10 percent less ideals than those with a high religiosity. The results show that although the desire to more than three children, but the realization of family fertility preferences requires the implementation of policies and supportive programs to facilitate childbearing.