The Effect of Education on Fertility: Evidence from a Compulsory Schooling Reform

Konferenzbeitrag

This study analyzes the effect of education on the number of children, childlessness, and the timing of the first birth. We use exogenous variation from a mandatory reform to compulsory schooling in West Germany to deal with the endogeneity of schooling. In contrast to studies for other developed countries, we find a significant negative effect of education on completed fertility. We attribute this finding to the particularly high opportunity costs of child-rearing in Germany.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Beiträge zur Jahrestagung des Vereins für Socialpolitik 2012: Neue Wege und Herausforderungen für den Arbeitsmarkt des 21. Jahrhunderts - Session: Education, Labor and Fertility ; No. D13-V2

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Analysis of Education ; Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth ; Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Cygan-Rehm, Kamila ; Mäder, Miriam
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (when): 2012

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/62037
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:45 AM CET