Jean Dreze (Delhi School of Economics) Mamta Murthi (King's College Cambridge)
Abstract
There has been a significant decline in fertility in many parts of India since the early 1980s. This paper reexamines the determinants of fertility levels and fertility decline, using panel data on Indian districts for 1981 and 1991. We find that women's education is the most important factor explaining fertility differences across the country and over time. Low levels of child mortality and son preference also contribute to lower fertility. By contrast, general indicators of modernization and development such as urbanization, poverty reduction and male literacy bear no significant association with fertility. En passant, we probe a subject of much confusion - the relation between fertility decline and gender bias.
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Centre for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics in its series Working papers with number
76.
Find related papers by JEL classification: J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth O15 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Production
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