Endogenous Childlessness and Stages of Development

Paula Gobbi, David de la Croix and Thomas Baudin

No 12071, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: Although developing countries are characterized by high average fertility rates, they are as concerned by childlessness as developed countries. Beyond natural sterility, there are two main types of childlessness: one driven by poverty and another by the high opportunity cost of childrearing. We measure the importance of the components of childlessness with a structural model of fertility and marriage. Deep parameters are identified using census data from 36 developing countries. As average education increases, poverty-driven childlessness first decreases to a minimum, and then the opportunity-driven part of childlessness increases. We show that neglecting the endogenous response of marriage and childlessness may lead to a poor understanding of the impact that social progress, such as universal primary education, may have on completed fertility. The same holds for family planning, closing the gender pay gap, and the eradication of child mortality.

Keywords: Poverty; Childlessness; Marriage; Education; Fertility; Unwanted births; Structural estimation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J11 O11 O40 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-gro
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Endogenous Childlessness and Stages of Development (2020)
Working Paper: Endogenous Childlessness and Stages of Development (2018)
Working Paper: Endogenous childlessness and the stages of development (2018)
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