RABAT, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The fertility rate of Morocco has dropped sharply from an average of more than seven children per woman in the 1960s to 2.21 in 2014, the Moroccan High Commission for Planning (HCP) published a survey here on Wednesday.
The HCP said that the decline results from the delay of women's marriage age and the popular use of contraception in Morocco. In the 1960s, the average marriage age for women was less than 20 years old while it became 25 in 2014.
In the 2010s, 67.4 percent of Moroccan women used birth control, a sharp rise from the 6 percent in the 1960s, the report showed.
The above facts are directly related to Morocco's economic development over the past half a century, the HCP said.
On the World Population Day on Tuesday, the Moroccan Health Ministry held a birth control seminar here, making a summary of the results of Moroccan birth control and emphasizing the importance of keeping the balance of population and age structure.
Compared with other countries in northern Africa, Morocco enjoys a relatively stable society, rapid economic development and an inclusive culture.
