Fertility responses to tropical cyclones: Causal evidence and mechanisms

Ha Nguyen and Francis Mitrou

No 1694, GLO Discussion Paper Series from Global Labor Organization (GLO)

Abstract: In light of growing concerns over escalating natural disaster risks and persistently low fertility rates, this paper quantifies the causal impacts of tropical cyclones and identifies the pathways through which they influence childbearing decisions among Australians of reproductive age. Using an individual fixed effects model and exogenous variation in cyclone exposure, we find a robust and substantial decline in fertility, occurring only after the most severe category 5 cyclones, with the effect weakening as distance from the cyclone's eye increases. We find no evidence of delayed cyclone effects, indicating that the fertility loss attributable to these most severe cyclones is permanent. Our findings are robust to extensive validity checks, including a falsification test and various randomization tests. The fertility decline is most pronounced among younger adults, individuals with lower educational attainment, those childless at baseline, and those lacking prior private health or residential insurance. While physical health, financial constraints, and migration appear unlikely to drive the effect, the evidence points to reduced family formation, increased marital breakdown, child mortality, cyclone-induced home damage, elevated psychological stress, and heightened risk perceptions as plausible mechanisms.

Keywords: Natural Disasters; Cyclones; Fertility; Marriage; Australia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J12 J13 Q54 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-env and nep-hea
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Journal Article: Fertility responses to tropical cyclones: Causal evidence and mechanisms (2025)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:glodps:1694

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