Son Preference and Child Mortality as Predictors of Parity Progression in India: Evidence from NFHS-5

Parity progression, largely driven by son preference and child mortality, has historically influenced fertility behaviour in India. Given continued declines in fertility, timely research that explores the impact of son preference and child mortality on parity progression with recent data is warranted. Analyzing data from the NFHS-5 (2019–2021) for women aged 35 to 49, the purpose of the present study was to examine whether son preference and child mortality as well as sociodemographic factors influence parity progression. Logistic regression models revealed that women with no sons were more likely to continue childbearing at each parity. At parities two to three, women with one son were more likely to continue childbearing, however, once there were two sons, women were less likely to continue having more children. At each parity, women who experienced death of a child were more likely to continue childbearing. Further, women who were socially and economically disadvantaged were generally more likely to continue childbearing than women who did not experience social and economic disadvantage. Policies that reduce son preference, improve child survival, and empower women may be essential for lowering parity progression and helping women achieve their ideal number of children.