East Javanese more fertile

East Javanese more fertile

SURABAYA, East Java: An increase in East Java's total fertility rate by 0.09 points from 2.134 to 2.223 means it has dropped from second to fourth place on the list of the most successful provinces in birth control.

According to the 1994 demographic survey, the most successful province is Yogyakarta, followed by Jakarta and Bali.

Head of the provincial family planning board Soeharto was quoted by Antara as saying that although the increase in the fertility rate was less than one percent, the number was high in view of the province's population of 32.8 million.

He explained that the rise in East Java's total fertility rate was due to a lack of public awareness about the importance of raising the marital age and a decline in the number of couples using long-term methods of contraception.

Soeharto said that his office would focus on reducing the total fertility rate to less than 2.0 by 1997. To achieve this goal, he said, his office plans to promote an increase in marital age. (pwn)