Refugee Immigration and Natives’ Fertility

Aya Aboulhosn, Cevat Giray Aksoy () and Berkay Ozcan
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Aya Aboulhosn: American University
Cevat Giray Aksoy: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Berkay Ozcan: LSE

No 18858, IZA Discussion Papers from IZA Network @ LISER

Abstract: Research and policy debates on population aging typically assume that immigration matters only through immigrants’ own fertility and its impact on total population size, ignoring effects on natives’ fertility. We study this margin in the context of the large inflow of Syrian refugees into Türkiye after 2011. Using an instrumental-variables strategy, we provide evidence that greater local exposure to refugees increases native fertility. Drawing on complete birth histories from the Demographic and Health Surveys, we find that the response operates primarily through earlier entry into motherhood and is concentrated among younger women. The result holds across three independent datasets, including administrative birth registers, and is mirrored in women’s stated ideal number of children. Examining potential mechanisms, we find the evidence most consistent with improved household economic security and find no support for channels operating through housing costs or the use of paid childcare.

Keywords: forced migration; fertility; refugees; social interactions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F22 J13 R23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-08
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