Teenage Fertility in South Africa

Various studies have identified the problems associated with teenage fertility. Utilising the 2016 South Africa Demographic and Health Survey and using life table method to deal with censoring and selectivity, I estimated the magnitudes of teenage fertility in South Africa. The results indicate that of the women who were 15-49 years old in 2016, about 31% had a first birth after attaining the age of
13 years. The results further imply that of the women who were 15-49 years old in 2016 who had their first birth between age 13 years and exact age 19 years, approximately 92% of their first births resulted from statutory rape. The provincial comparison indicated that first births among teenagers is highly prevalent across the nine provinces of South Africa. Punishment for statutory rape may be up to life imprisonment in South Africa, yet there is a high level of first births by teenagers due to statutory rape. This is probably partly due to failure by victims to report offenders for various reasons. A re-focus on some of the discourse about teenage fertility on the responsibilities of parents, guardians or relatives is necessary to mitigate the high level of teenage fertility. There is little the judiciary can do if offenders are not reported.

Author: Emeritus Professor Eric O Udjo (PhD, London) 2026