Socio-Demographic Determinants of Abortion in India: A North-South Comparison

Sunita Bose, University at Albany, State University of New York
Katherine Trent, University at Albany, State University of New York

Data from the second National Family Health Survey (NFHS2) of India are used to examine the net effects of social and demographic characteristics of women on the likelihood of abortion while emphasizing important differences between women from northern and southern states. A north-south comparison illustrates that southern women have relatively higher status, lower levels of son preference, and smaller family size. Results from logistic regression analyses show that literacy, age at marriage, belonging to a scheduled tribe, urban residence, standard of living, age, and contraceptive behavior all have significant effects on the likelihood of abortion. However, these effects significantly differ for southern and northern women. Moreover, the effect of agricultural work, son preference, and number of living children on the likelihood of abortion are significant for northern but not southern women.