FERTILITY INEQUALITY: Economic and social drivers of declining birth rates

DemografiFamilie

Prosjektnummer: 4168

Periode: 2026 – 2030

Beskrivelse: The sudden and persistent decline in period fertility over the past 15 years has spurred considerable attention due to its seeming universality and synchronicity: Total fertility rates have been falling continuously in almost all high-income countries (OECD members), from around the time of the 2008 financial crisis (Figure 1). The economic recovery after the great recession, however, was not accompanied by recovering birth rates. More recently, many poorer countries have followed suit. As an increasing number of countries see their populations age, concerns about economic growth and future welfare abound. The near-universal decline, observed across countries with widely differing economic outlook, employment arrangements and family policies, seems to imply a shift in global culture: Are children no longer wanted? Importantly, it calls into question the relevance of existing theory and empirical work in explaining the ongoing fertility decline.

Prosjektleder: Ole Røgeberg

Deltakere: Bernt Bratsberg, Ole Røgeberg

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