International migration is increasingly important in shaping national
population dynamics, both directly through adding or subtracting
people, and indirectly, through the fertility of immigrants. International
migrants rarely share the fertility characteristics of either origin or destination
populations. However, the relationship between migration and fertility
is little understood, especially that relating to refugee populations.
This study examined the fertility differentials of one of the world’s largest
refugee populations, the Afghans in Iran, in relation to the host population.
Based on multivariate analysis, the study demonstrated that Afghan
immigrants were moving from a high fertility regime to a low fertility
regime. The findings suggest that fertility change among Afghans is associated
with their adaptation to Iranian society. The role of education in
mediating immigrant–native fertility differentials was also uncovered.