In the 1980s, Peru experienced a deep economic crisis and an extremely violent political climate with armed confrontation. As suggested by the literature, it would be reasonable to expect a temporary contraction in the number of births during this period; however, the official population estimates do not show that behaviour. Relying on three different sources (generated independently by diverse organisations in different moments and using varied methods), this article finds consistent evidence suggesting there was a contraction in fertility that has not been previously accounted for. The article also estimates the size of said contraction.