Fertility theories: Can they explain the negative fertility-income relationship?


Jones, Larry E. ; Schoonbrodt, Alice ; Tertilt, Michèle



DOI: https://doi.org/10.3386/w14266
URL: https://www.nber.org/papers/w14266
Additional URL: http://tertilt.vwl.uni-mannheim.de/research/Fertil...
Document Type: Working paper
Year of publication: 2008
The title of a journal, publication series: NBER Working Paper
Volume: 14266
Place of publication: Cambridge, MA
Related URLs:
Publication language: English
Institution: School of Law and Economics > VWL, Makro- u. Entwicklungsökonomie (Tertilt 2010-)
Subject: 330 Economics
Abstract: In this chapter we revisit the relationship between income and fertility. There is overwhelming empirical evidence that fertility is negatively related to income in most countries at most times. Several theories have been proposed in the literature to explain this somewhat puzzling fact. The most common one is based on the opportunity cost of time being higher for individuals with higher earnings. Alternatively, people might differ in their desire to procreate and accordingly some people invest more in children and less in market-specific human capital and thus have lower earnings. We revisit these and other possible explanations. We find that these theories are not as robust as is commonly believed. That is, several special assumptions are needed to generate the negative relationship. Not all assumptions are equally plausible. Such findings will be useful to distinguish alternative theories. We conclude that further research along these lines is needed.

Dieser Datensatz wurde nicht während einer Tätigkeit an der Universität Mannheim veröffentlicht, dies ist eine Externe Publikation.




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