The Old-Age Security Motive for Fertility: Evidence from the Extension of Social Pensions in Namibia

Pauline Rossi and Mathilde Godard ()
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Mathilde Godard: GATE Lyon Saint-Étienne - Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon - Saint-Etienne - ENS de Lyon - École normale supérieure de Lyon - Université de Lyon - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - UCBL - Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 - Université de Lyon - UJM - Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

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Abstract: The old-age security motive for fertility postulates that people's needs for old-age support raise the demand for children. We test this widespread idea using the extension of social pensions in Namibia during the nineties. The reform eliminated inequalities in pension coverage and benefit across regions and ethnic groups. Combining differences in pre-reform pensions and differences in exposure across cohorts, we show that pensions substantially reduce fertility, especially in late reproductive life. This article provides the first quasi-experimental quantification of the old-age security motive. The results suggest that improving social protection for the elderly could go a long way in fostering fertility decline in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Keywords: Fertility; Old-age pensions; Social security; Africa; Difference-in-differences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr, nep-age, nep-dem and nep-ias
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-02378400v1
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Related works:
Journal Article: The Old-Age Security Motive for Fertility: Evidence from the Extension of Social Pensions in Namibia (2022)
Working Paper: The Old-Age Security Motive for Fertility: Evidence from the Extension of Social Pensions in Namibia (2022)
Working Paper: The Old-Age Security Motive for Fertility: Evidence from the Extension of Social Pensions in Namibia (2021)
Working Paper: The Old-Age Security Motive for Fertility: Evidence from the Extension of Social Pensions in Namibia (2020)
Working Paper: The Old-Age Security Motive for Fertility: Evidence from the Extension of Social Pensions in Namibia (2019)
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