Late Fertility Transition in Sardinia (Villagrande, 1851-2013)

Michel Poulain, Tallinn University and Université Catholique de Louvain
Dany Chambre, Independent Researcher
Gianni Pes, Università degli Studi di Sassari

Sardinia experienced a late fertility transition in the 1950’s. For a population still involved in agro-pastoral activities and traditional life style, we reconstruct about one thousand completed families with mothers born between 1880 and 1965. The original results confirm that the natural fertility regime is prevalent till 1950 with 6 children per mother. Thereafter the drop occurs in two steps, a fall to 4 children between 1952 and the end of the 50’s and another starting in 1965 till 2 children per mother. Anthropological surveys allowed identifying the main drivers of these important changes: improved well-being associated with better social security and development of the pension system, opening of the village to the external world and later impact of compulsory education for children that were used to help their parents. This interesting demographic and anthropological investigation is concern a population where the couples that reduced their fertility are still alive.