Between 2016 and 2019, around 1,000 babies were born each year to adolescent mothers aged 15 to 19 in Fiji, with the youngest recorded mother being just 13 years old. This information comes from a recent policy paper published by the Bureau of Statistics titled “Putting Data and Evidence into Action: An Intersectional Profile of Adolescent Pregnancy and Motherhood in Fiji.”
The report indicates a significant rise in the adolescent fertility rate during this timeframe, increasing from 30 to 38 births per 1,000 among iTaukei mothers and from 19 to 24 births per 1,000 among non-iTaukei mothers. It noted that there were more babies born to adolescent iTaukei mothers, largely due to their larger demographic representation within the Fijian population. The majority of adolescent mothers from this group were reported to be single or unmarried.
Over the four years examined, more than 3,350 children were born to iTaukei mothers aged 14 to 19, while 952 babies were born to non-iTaukei mothers in the 15 to 19 age range. The report also revealed that among iTaukei mothers, 73 percent were single, 26 percent were married, and 1 percent were divorced. In contrast, around 50 percent of non-iTaukei mothers were married, 38 percent were single, and 4 percent were divorced.
The 2021 Fiji Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) further emphasized disparities in adolescent fertility rates, indicating that the rate among the poorest wealth quintile was 52 per 1,000, compared to just 5 per 1,000 in the wealthiest quintile. The survey also discovered that adolescent fertility in rural areas was 35 percent higher than in urban regions.
Among 791 surveyed adolescent girls, 85 percent reported having knowledge of modern contraceptive methods. However, only 13.5 percent of the 33 sexually active girls aged 15 to 19 stated they could access modern contraception when needed.
The report recommends the provision of non-judgmental and confidential sexual and reproductive health services, along with gender sensitization and training on gender-based violence.