Table 3

- The correlation between fertility rates and sociodemographic variables.

CountryTFR rate x VariableCorrelation coefficient2-tailed significance level
BahrainTFR x Total population-0.989**<0.001
TFR x Crude death rate0.932**<0.001
TFR x Life expectancy-0.973**<0.001
TFR x Literacy rate-1.000**<0.001
TFR x Unemployment-0.434**0.012
TFR x Urbanization (%)-0.944**<0.001
TFR x Labor force - Female-0.980**<0.001
TFR x GDP per capita-0.909**<0.001
TFR x Inflation0.0540.736
TFR x Human development index (HDI)-0.964**<0.001
KuwaitTFR x Total population-0.864**<0.001
TFR x Crude death rate0.897**<0.001
TFR x Life expectancy-0.957**<0.001
TFR x Literacy rate-0.956**<0.001
TFR x Unemployment-0.934**<0.001
TFR x Urbanization (%)-0.943**<0.001
TFR x Labor force - Female-0.921**<0.001
TFR x GDP per capita-0.811**<0.001
TFR x Inflation0.0750.639
TFR x HDI-0.953**<0.001
OmanTFR x Total population-0.951**<0.001
TFR x Crude death rate0.905**<0.001
TFR x Life Expectancy-0.895**<0.001
TFR x Literacy rate-0.3710.468
TFR x Unemployment0.526**0.002
TFR x Urbanization (%)-0.928**<0.001
TFR x Labor force - Female-0.861**<0.001
TFR x GDP per capita-0.826**<0.001
TFR x Inflation-0.0640.688
TFR x HDI-0.543**0.009
QatarTFR x Total population-0.996**<0.001
TFR x Crude death rate0.568**<0.001
TFR x Life expectancy-0.987**<0.001
TFR x Literacy rate-1.000**<0.001
TFR x Unemployment0.909**<0.001
TFR x Urbanization (%)-0.999**<0.001
TFR x Labor force - Female-0.829**<0.001
TFR x GDP per capita-0.775**<0.001
TFR x Inflation0.306*0.049
TFR x HDI-0.982**<0.001
Saudi ArabiaTFR x Total population-1.000**<0.001
TFR x Crude death rate0.927**<0.001
TFR x Life Expectancy-0.992**<0.001
TFR x Literacy rate-1.000**<0.001
TFR x Unemployment0.0040.983
TFR x Urbanization (%)-1.000**<0.001
TFR x Labor Force - Female-0.979**<0.001
TFR x GDP per capita-0.715**<0.001
TFR x Inflation-0.2910.062
TFR x Human development index (HDI)-1.000**<0.001
United Arab EmiratesTFR x Total population-0.996**<0.001
TFR x Crude death rate0.908**<0.001
TFR x Life expectancy-0.997**<0.001
TFR x Literacy rate-0.8000.200
TFR x Unemployment-0.361*0.046
TFR x Urbanization (%)-0.792**<0.001
TFR x Labor force - Female-0.993**<0.001
TFR x GDP per capita-0.605**<0.001
TFR x Inflation0.462**0.002
TFR x HDI-0.994**<0.001

A negative/inverse correlation indicates the increase in one variable with a decrease in the other variable. A positive correlation indicates an increase/decrease of both variables in the same direction.

  • ** Correlation significant at p=0.01 (2-tailed),

  • * at 0.05 level (2-tailed).