What is General Fertility Rate and Why Should You Care?
The General Fertility Rate (GFR) measures live births per 1,000 women of childbearing age (15-44 years). This key figure provides deep insight into the reproductive health and future population growth of a community.
Understanding fertility rates is crucial for planning. Governments and organizations use this data to allocate resources, design health programs, and forecast future population trends.
The Formula
[\text{GFR} = \frac{\text{Number of Live Births}}{\text{Female Population (15-44)}} \times 1000]
Where:
- Number of Live Births is the total count within a specified time period
- Female Population (15-44) is the number of women aged 15-44
Calculation Example
For a fictional town:
- Number of live births: 120,000
- Female population aged 15-44: 2,400,000
[\text{GFR} = \frac{120,000}{2,400,000} \times 1000 = 50 \text{ births per 1,000 women}]
The General Fertility Rate is 50 births per 1,000 women.
Second Example
With different values:
- Number of live births: 90,000
- Female population aged 15-44: 1,500,000
[\text{GFR} = \frac{90,000}{1,500,000} \times 1000 = 60 \text{ births per 1,000 women}]
This yields a GFR of 60 births per 1,000 women.