Table 7.7 Percent distribution of all women by ideal number of children, and mean ideal number of children for ever-married
women and for currently married women, according to number of living children, Philippines 2003
(Ideal number of children)
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Number of living children1
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Desire for children 0 1 2 3 4 5 6+ Total
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0 5.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.5 0.4 1.9
1 5.7 10.3 2.5 2.8 1.6 1.3 0.6 4.4
2 44.2 45.4 43.9 18.7 19.6 14.2 11.7 34.2
3 29.1 29.2 27.9 46.1 17.4 30.6 29.1 30.2
4 11.6 11.3 19.6 21.9 47.5 20.2 25.2 19.1
5 2.0 1.6 3.1 6.0 5.2 22.4 10.1 4.8
6+ 0.9 1.7 2.4 3.7 7.7 9.8 19.9 4.4
Non-numeric responses 1.3 0.3 0.5 0.7 0.8 1.0 3.0 1.1
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Number of women 4,800 1,819 2,014 1,768 1,258 769 1,205 13,633
Mean ideal number of children2 for:
All women 2.5 2.5 2.9 3.2 3.7 3.9 4.2 3.0
Number 4,735 1,813 2,004 1,756 1,248 761 1,169 13,486
Currently married women 2.7 2.6 2.9 3.2 3.7 3.9 4.2 3.2
Number 498 1,552 1,886 1,654 1,183 719 1,101 8,591
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Notes: 1 Includes current pregnancy
2 Means are calculated excluding the women giving non-numeric responses.
Source: 2003 National Demographic and Health Survey
National Statistics Office & Department of Health
Page last updated: September 11, 2006
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