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

Sophie Cetre (), Andrew Clark and Claudia Senik ()
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Sophie Cetre: PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement
Claudia Senik: UP4 - Université Paris-Sorbonne, PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, PSE - Paris-Jourdan Sciences Economiques - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

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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)
Date: 2016-08
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (42)

Published in European Journal of Population, 2016, 32 (3), pp.445 - 473. ⟨10.1007/s10680-016-9389-x⟩

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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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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-01383781

DOI: 10.1007/s10680-016-9389-x

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