The Islamic Republic of Iran has experienced perhaps the most rapid and far-reaching
fertility decline demographers have ever witnessed. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution,
the total fertility rate, which rose slightly to 7.0 children during 1980–84, dropped by more
than 5 children to below-replacement-level fertility (1.9 children) in 2006. This is a remarkable
fertility transition, as the government policy in Iran never resorted to the types
of coercive measures that have been employed elsewhere. This book is the first volume
that attempts to explain the rapid fall in fertility after the 1979 revolution.
The most striking feature of the book is its use of a wealth of data, taken from three
censuses as well as the 2000 Demographic and Health Survey and two fertility surveys
conducted by the authors in 2002 and 2005 among four provinces of Iran. Various demographic
methods are applied to estimate fertility levels and to interpret the data. The book
is easy to read, and each chapter is written concisely with a clear organization, though it
is sadly marred by an undue number of typographical, editorial, and technical errors (for
example, see pages 36, 46–47, 56, 97, 100, 104, 108, 111, 128, 130, 154, 156, 165, and 182).
Although most of the errors are not serious, the cumulative effect may discourage the
reader and weaken confidence in the argument