A demographic study in an area of low fertility in north-east Tanganyika

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Abstract
A demographic study has been made of settlements of different types in Pangani district, N.E. Tanganyika, selected to illustrate the varying degrees of departure from the old coastal rural economy. The three principal villages investigated have diverged from the demographic pattern characteristic of African tribal communities in their relatively high average age, low proportion of children, excess of adults in particular age groups, high proportion of unmarried adults, though they have largely retained the mortality pattern of tribal communities. The degree of divergence, broadly corresponding to that to which they have departed from the traditional coastal rural economy, arises in large part from the differential attraction of the villages to adult migrants from elsewhere, though the composition and activities of the immigrant component varies from village to village. The direction of departure is towards the demographic condition of urban communities. The relatively small number of children to be found in these communities is due partly to the excess of immigrant adults, partly to a tendency to refrain from marriage for social reasons, partly to heavy mortality among the children that are born, partly to infertility. A high proportion of unions are infertile, seemingly for biological reasons, and a high proportion of marriages break down, reflecting a change in attitude to marriage, especially on the part of women.

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