Page 19 - IJPS-11-3

International Journal of

Population Studies

RESEARCH ARTICLE
Components of changes in nuptiality patterns

among Ethiopian women: A decomposition
analysis of demographic and health surveys

1
1,2
Dame Kedir , Tariku Dejene * , and Terefe Degefa 1
1 Center for Population Studies, College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia
2 Department of Mathematics, College of Applied Natural Science, Adama Science and Technology
University, Adama, Ethiopia

Abstract

Analyzing shifts in nuptiality patterns plays a significant role in understanding how
demographic variables respond to socioeconomic changes. However, there has been
a lack of comprehensive research on the sources of changes in nuptiality patterns.
This study examines how nuptiality patterns change and investigates the factors
linked to changes in two birth cohorts. Data from the Ethiopian Demographic and
Health Surveys conducted in 2000 and 2016 were used. Marriage was observed to be
early and nearly universal in both birth cohorts. A large proportion of the difference
*Corresponding author:
Tariku Dejene in the cumulative incidence of first marriage between the cohorts was observed at
(tariku.dejene@aau.edu.et) age 15 and decreased after age 35. However, the age of entry into the first marriage
Citation: Kedir, D., Dejene, T. & was slightly delayed, with a 46% reduction in the rate of marital dissolution. In
Degefa, T. (2025). Components addition, the compositional and structural impacts of a covariate were responsible
of changes in nuptiality patterns for initiating the cumulative incidence of transition to first marriage. Furthermore,
among Ethiopian women:
A decomposition analysis of women’s education, occupation, and regional variation were identified as the main
demographic and health surveys. contributors to the reduction in the cumulative incidence of first marriage. Results
International Journal of Population show that the changes in nuptiality patterns were explained by a reduction in
Studies, 11(3): 13-26.
https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.3531 cumulative incidence of marriage, a shift in the timing of entry into the first marriage,
and marital dissolution across the two birth cohorts. Moreover, socioeconomic
Received: April 29, 2024 factors, spatial drivers, and discriminatory effects between the two cohorts were the
1st revised: May 2, 2024 sources of changes in nuptiality patterns in Ethiopia.
2nd revised: June 18, 2024
Accepted: July 24, 2024 Keywords: Nuptiality pattern; Birth cohort; Decomposition analysis; Ethiopia
Published online: October 9, 2024
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s).
This is an Open-Access article 1. Introduction
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution Fertility transition cannot be fully understood by examining fertility trends alone;
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium, the components of the transition need to be examined to gain a more nuanced and
provided the original work is comprehensive understanding (Muhoza, 2022). In the 1960s, the concept of nuptiality
properly cited. change as a component of demographic change was developed. In developed nations,
Publisher’s Note: AccScience the strain on natural resources caused by continuous population growth was mitigated
Publishing remains neutral with through various strategies. Aside from outmigration, one response among rural dwellers,
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional although not a deliberate effort to reduce fertility, was delaying marriage (Davis, 1963;
affiliations. Hertrich, 2017). According to Coale (1967; 1974), nuptiality change was an initial step

Volume 11 Issue 3 (2025) 13 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.3531