To continue getting breaking news and the full stories from The Boston Globe, subscribe today.

The Boston Globe

World

Boston.com

Latin American birthrates plummeting

Urbanization, health care, TV soap operas cited

By Juan Forero

 |  Washington Post  

  January 01, 2012

Priscila da Silva once asked her grandmother why she had 12 children, and the answer was simple: “Because I wanted to.’’ These days, Silva, like many women in Brazil and the rest of Latin America, has other plans. At 24, she thinks about having one child, if that. Fertility rates have dropped in many parts of the world in recent decades, but something particularly remarkable happened to the once-prolific family across Latin America.

Stay with the story. Get full access to BostonGlobe.com for just 99¢

Unlimited access to BostonGlobe.com for only 99¢ for the first 4 weeks. You can cancel at any time.

  • The FULL story all day: Enjoy all of the high-quality, in-depth journalism in the print edition of the Boston Globe — plus breaking news that's updated 24/7.
  • A truly reader-friendly format: It's online news that looks and reads just like the newspaper — uncluttered, uninterrupted.
  • Breakthrough technology: The responsive design automatically adapts content so it always reads perfectly on the digital device of your choice.
Get started today

Free access for home delivery subscribers.

Just need to link your home delivery account; one easy step.

Link my home delivery account

BostonGlobe.comSubscriber Log In

Contact us for help