Exploring the puzzle of human reproduction: Register data based evidence from France and Germany

Cäcilia Lipowski, Ralf Wilke and Bertrand Koebel

No 20-025, ZEW Discussion Papers from ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research

Abstract: Birth rates differ strongly across European states, despite the deep economic harmonisation process related to European integration. This study uses large scale administrative data from France and Germany to analyse and directly compare fertility patterns in two major European economies over a period of 15 years. Strong evidence is found that opportunity costs play a role in fertility decisions, and for a positive income effect for females with high earnings. Females in Germany adapt their fertility behaviour more strongly in response to economic incentives than their counterpartsin France. This is explained by pronounced differences in the national approaches to childcare support.

Keywords: family policy; fertility behaviour; count data; panel data (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C23 C25 J11 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-eur and nep-lab
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https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/218953/1/1699325146.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Exploring the Puzzle of Human Reproduction: Register Data based Evidence from France and Germany (2020)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:zewdip:20025

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