Number of underage mothers in Turkey down 82 pct in decade

ANKARA

The number of “underage mothers” declined significantly between 2008 and 2017, according to data compiled by state-run Anadolu Agency.

A total of 227 females, under the age of 15, gave birth over the said period, down from 1,261, pointing to a sharp 82 percent decline, Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) data showed.

According to the official figures, a total of 14,554 females, aged between 15 and 17, gave birth between 2008 and 2017, declining from 33,719 before this period. This translated into a 57 percent decline.

Over the same period, 54,449 females aged between 18 and 19 gave birth to children, marking a 36 percent decline, while the decline for the females aged between 20 and 24 was 20 percent, down to a total of 301,196.

The data also revealed that a total of 401,814 females within the age group of 25 to 29 years gave birth in the period of 2008-2017, a three percent decline. A total of 308,176 females aged between 30 and 34 gave birth in the same period that pointed to a 25 percent increase.

Women older than 35

The TÜİK data also showed a sharp increase in the number of women aged 35 and above that gave birth in the said period.

As for the age group of 35 and 39 years, a total of 165,264 women delivered children, translating into a sharp 60 percent increase. The increase for the women aged between 40 and 44 was 27 percent, with the number being at 33,115.

According to the data, the age-specific fertility rate in the 15-19 age group declined to 21 per thousand from 40, while the corresponding figure for the 20-24 age group fell to 97 per thousand from 1243 per thousand.