[Nuptiality trends and the fertility transition in Latin America].

The author uses census data to examine the impact of nuptiality on the fertility transition in Latin America. He finds that fertility decreased among adolescents during the 1960s, although no trend was observed for later decades. However, "an increase of legal marriages in connection with consensual unions was also observed. Apart from an [increase] in the number of illegitimate children, the impact of the increase of consensual unions upon fertility is uncertain. No regional trend was observed in connection with age at marriage. This stability suggests that Latin American patterns of marriage are determined by cultural factors rather than socioeconomic reasons." (SUMMARY IN ENG)