This article uses data from a 1990 survey on abortion which was carried out in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and which involved 400 women. With particular reference to the implications for population policy, the author examines aspects of knowledge, attitude, and behavior concerning family planning. The results indicate that although most women were aware of the serious problems facing the Serb community with regard to the low level of fertility, and although three was perceived as the ideal number of children, only about half of the women with one child planned to have more children. Factors affecting the low use of effective contraception are also analyzed.
Population trends in the Yugoslav republic of Serbia are analyzed for the period 1948-1991 using census data. The author notes that the population continued to grow over this period, primarily through natural increase rather than migration. The rate of growth, however, has declined over time. There are also significant differences among Serbia's three main regions: although the population of Vojvodina and central Serbia has begun to decline, the populations of Kosovo and Metohija have grown faster over time. (SUMMARY IN ENG)
Using data from a survey of 101 women in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, the author analyzes women's attitudes toward parenthood. The sample, which was divided evenly between women from three social classes, involved manual workers, office workers, and intellectuals. The focus was on the value of children and on reasons given for not having more children. (SUMMARY IN ENG)
