Value of Children and Fertility in the City of Shiraz

This research has analyzed the value of children and fertility. Data were gathered by survey method, the sample consists of 406 women 15-49 years old married women in the city of Shiraz. The findings show that factors such as age at marriage, womens, and their husband's education have reverse relation with the value of children and, also, with the actual and ideal fertility. Increasing in women's age, length of marriage, and avoiding of single child have increased the numbers of children ever born, the ideal numbers of children, and the value of children. Findings have shown that there is significant correlation between economic, social, and religious dimensions of the value of children with actual fertility and, also, between economic, and religious dimensions of the value of children with ideal fertility. Results of multiple regression analysis showed that length of marriage, birth place, age at marriage, women's education, sex preferences, social and economic benefits, and social costs of children are able to explain variances of the actual fertility. Length of marriage, avoiding of single child, sex preferences, and economic benefits of children have explained the variances of ideal fertility.