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Mortality Reductions, Educational Attainment, and Fertility Choice

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Author Info
Rodrigo R. Soares

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Abstract

This paper explores the role of life expectancy as a determinant of educational attainment and fertility, both during the demographic transition and after its completion. Two main points distinguish our analysis from the previous ones. First, together with the investments of parents in the human capital of children, we introduce investments of adult individuals in their own education, which determines productivity in both the goods and household sectors. Second, we let adult longevity affect the way parents value each individual child. Increases in adult longevity eventually raise the investments in adult education. Together with the higher utility derived from each child, this tilts the quantity-quality trade off towards less and better educated children, and increases the growth rate of the economy. Reductions in child mortality may have similar effects -- or may only affect fertility -- depending on the nature of the costs of raising children. This setup can explain both the demographic transition and the recent behavior of fertility in ``post-demographic transition'' countries, ignored by the previous literature and incompatible with most of its results. Evidence from historical experiences of demographic transition, and from the recent behavior of fertility, education, and growth supports the predictions of the model

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Paper provided by Econometric Society in its series Econometric Society 2004 North American Winter Meetings with number 9.

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Date of creation: 11 Aug 2004
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Handle: RePEc:ecm:nawm04:9

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Related research
Keywords: life expectancy; demographic transition; fertility; educational attainment;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Production
I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
O10 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General

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  14. Rodrigo Soares, 2006. "The effect of longevity on schooling and fertility: evidence from the Brazilian Demographic and Health Survey," Journal of Population Economics, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 71-97, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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