Is there a cost associated with an increase in family size beyond child investment? Evidence from developing countries

Julio Fernando Caceres-Delpiano

No 1117, Banco de España Working Papers from Banco de España

Abstract: Using multiple births as an Instrumental Variable (IV) for family size and data for 43 developing countries, I find evidence that a shock in fertility has a cost for a family as a whole. Mothers are more likely to live under less stable family arrangements and they are more likely to use contraceptives. Children are less likely to receive some vaccines, attend school, live their mother and there is an increase in odds of mortality. The analysis by level of development reveals the cost of fertility comes from those countries with lower level of development.

Keywords: Fertility; Health; Education; Family Arrangements; Developing Countries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J11 J12 J13 J18 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem and nep-dev
Date: 2011-09
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations Track citations by RSS feed

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.bde.es/webbde/SES/Secciones/Publicacion ... /11/Fich/dt1117e.pdf First version, September 2011 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bde:wpaper:1117

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Banco de España Working Papers from Banco de España
Contact information at EDIRC.
Series data maintained by María Beiro. Electronic Dissemination of Information Unit. Research Department. Banco de España ().