Happy People Have Children: Choice and Self-Selection into Parenthood

Sophie Cetre (), Andrew Clark and Claudia Senik ()
Additional contact information
Sophie Cetre: Paris School of Economics
Claudia Senik: Paris School of Economics

No 9880, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: There is mixed evidence in the existing literature on whether children are associated with greater subjective well-being, with the correlation depending on which countries and populations are considered. We here provide a systematic analysis of this question based on three different datasets: two cross-national and one national panel. We show that the association between children and subjective well-being is positive only in developed countries, and for those who become parents after the age of 30 and who have higher income. We also provide evidence of a positive selection into parenthood, whereby happier individuals are more likely to have children.

Keywords: happiness; fertility; children; income; selection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D1 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 32 pages
Date: 2016-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hap, nep-lab, nep-ltv and nep-neu
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (45)

Published - published in: European Journal of Population, 2016, 32, 445-473

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Journal Article: Happy People Have Children: Choice and Self-Selection into Parenthood (2016)
Working Paper: Happy People Have Children: Choice and Self-Selection into Parenthood (2016)
Working Paper: Happy People Have Children: Choice and Self-Selection into Parenthood (2016)
Working Paper: Happy People Have Children: Choice and Self-Selection into Parenthood (2016)
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