An article examined the relationship between age norms and second birth rates in 23 European countries. It considered whether ideas about the 'proper' age for parenthood interacted with actual ages at first birth in influencing second birth transitions. In regions with older ideal ages for parenthood, the second birth rate was depressed for women with young ages at first birth, and vice versa. This effect, however, was strongly reduced and remained only marginally significant after controlling for an interaction between regional gross domestic product and age at first birth – suggesting that rich regions exhibited weaker postponement effects, and that this relationship largely absorbed the effect of age norms. The negative effect of high age at first birth on the second birth rates also attenuated with educational attainment.
Source: Jan Van Bavel and Natalie Nitsche, '"The proper age for parenthood" and second birth rates in Europe', European Sociological Review, Volume 29 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Feb
An article presented indirect estimation methods used to estimate ethnic-specific fertility rates and project the ethnic-group populations of local authorities in England to 2051.
Source: Paul Norman, Philip Rees, and Pia Wohland, 'The use of a new indirect method to estimate ethnic-group fertility rates for subnational projections for England', Population Studies, Online first
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jan
An article examined how strongly fertility trends responded to family policies in developed (OECD) countries. Paid leave, childcare services, and financial transfers were each found to have a positive influence on average, suggesting that the combination of these forms of support for working parents during their children's early years was likely to facilitate parents' choice to have children. Cash benefits covering childhood after the year of childbirth, and the provision of childcare services for children under 3, had a larger potential influence on fertility than leave entitlements and benefits granted around childbirth.
Source: Angela Luci-Greulich and Olivier Thevenon, 'The impact of family policies on fertility trends in developed countries', European Journal of Population, Volume 29 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jan