Page 80 - IJPS-10-3

International Journal of
Population Studies COVID-19 and fertility in Costa Rica

Figure 3. Year-on-year change in conditional fertility rates among native women in Costa Rica by birth order and pandemic month and year from 2019
to 2022

Figure 4. Year-on-year change in fertility rates among native women in Costa Rica by level of education in the community and pandemic month and year
from 2019 to 2022

evident in the lowest stratum: the GFR fell by 9% in the affected by the shock of the first pandemic month with a
first pandemic year (2021) and 4% in the second pandemic 16% reduction.
year, compared to 15% and 13% reductions during the two
pre-pandemic periods. 4. Discussion

In middle- and high-SES communities, the short- TFR of native-born Costa Ricans fell 7% in 2021, the first
lived baby bust of the first pandemic month (in January pandemic fertility year after discounting the nine-month
2021) was extreme, featured by 24% and 20% reductions, gestation. This considerable drop appears to be a continuation
respectively. Fertility in low-SES communities seems less of the declining trend in fertility carried forward from before

Volume 10 Issue 3 (2024) 74 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.1310