The paper examines trends in the proximate determinants of fertility in Namibia during the period
1992-2013, with a view to explaining the factors responsible for fertility decline in the country. The study
uses the 1992, 2000, 2006 and 2013 Namibia Demographic and Health Surveys and Bongaarts’ model of
proximate determinants. The study shows that marriage has a far more dominant inhibiting effect on fertility
than the other proximate fertility determinants. Specifically, the fertility suppressing effects of marriage are
more important than the effects of contraception and postpartum infecundability in explaining fertility levels
and trends in the context of Namibia; the indices of marriage and contraception and an increase in the
index of postpartum infecundability. The change is greatest in contraceptive, moderate in marriage and
least in breastfeeding. The study recommends that strategies aimed at improving reproductive health
services such as empowerment of women should be promoted in Namibia.