Abstract
There have been precipitous declines in fertility in the 28 formerly communist countries of the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia, the economic transition away from central planning and the social liberalization in these countries. Because of the steep fertility declines, a number of these countries now have more deaths than births. Using the proximate determinants framework, this article examines the impact that marriage, contraceptive prevalence, abortion, and breast-feeding have had on fertility levels in these countries, as well as the impact of the economic recessions and social dislocations.
