RIYADH, 24 April 2003 — A recent study has found that most Saudi mothers want a maximum of six children.
The study, “Health of the Saudi Family,” was conducted recently as part of a project concerned with the health situation in the Gulf.
Of the mothers who took part in the study, 22 percent said they wanted six children while 16 percent wanted only four children. One in 10 women wanted fewer than four children, three wanted four or five children, three wanted to have six or seven children, and three others eight or more.
Thirty-five percent of married women said they discussed family size with their husbands. Younger women between 20 and 29 years felt freer in discussing this subject with their husbands than those over 29.
The standard of education among women plays an important role in the matter. Only 25 percent of illiterate women discussed the topic with their husband. The rate increases to 56 percent among educated women who believe it is their duty to discuss the matter because of the family’s social and financial situation.
