The effects of education, health, and social security on fertility in developing countries

Susan H. Cochrane

No 93, Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: This paper analyzes the effects of education, health and social security on fertility in developing countries. Spending on education does not necessarily reduce fertility. For example, with small amounts of education fertility tends to increase before falling off at the level of completed primary school; its specific effect can only be measured by working at a particular population group. Health care services which reduce child mortality also reduce fertility when life expectancy reaches a level which anticipates the need for fewer children. Generally, this is a more costly way to reduce fertility than family planning. Lastly, even though the general effect of social security systems on fertility is more difficult to study and quantify, a preliminary estimate shows it to be the most costly method, compared with education, health care and family planning.

Keywords: Health Monitoring&Evaluation; Early Child and Children's Health; Reproductive Health; Gender and Social Development; Early Childhood Development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1988-09-30
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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