Insecure old-age security
Abstract
In this paper, we examine the old-age security hypothesis according to which parents rear children because they expect the latter to care for them in their later years. In developing countries where there are no perfect capital markets, children are usually viewed as a potential source of income and as a time-related support in old age. However, investing in children remains risky. By focusing on uncertainty about the parental consumption during old age, we show that there exists a precautionary motive for the demand for children so that fertility of prudent parents is expected to increase.Download Info
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Paper provided by University Library of Munich, Germany in its series MPRA Paper with number 38644.Length:
Date of creation: 2002
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:38644
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Related research
Keywords: Old age; security; chilgren; fertility; uncertainty; income;Other versions of this item:
- Mohamed Jellal & Francois-Charles Wolff, 2002. "Insecure old-age security," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 54(4), pages 636-648, October.
- J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
- H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
- D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
- D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior
References
References listed on IDEASPlease report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Rosati, Furio Camillo, 1996. "Social security in a non-altruistic model with uncertainty and endogenous fertility," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(2), pages 283-294, May.
- Cigno, Alessandro & Rosati, Furio Camillo, 1992. "The Effects of Financial Markets and Social Security on Saving and Fertility Behaviour in Italy," Journal of Population Economics, Springer, vol. 5(4), pages 319-41.
- Mark Kazarosian, 1993.
"Precautionary Savings- A Panel Study,"
Boston College Working Papers in Economics
247, Boston College Department of Economics.
- Mark Kazarosian, 1997. "Precautionary Savings-A Panel Study," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 79(2), pages 241-247, May.
- Jensen, Eric R, 1990. "An Econometric Analysis of the Old-Age Security Motive for Childbearing," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 31(4), pages 953-68, November.
- Appelbaum, Elie & Katz, Eliakim, 1991. "The Demand for Children in the Absence of Capital and Risk Markets: A Portfolio Approach," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 43(2), pages 292-304, April.
- Jellal, Mohamed & Wolff, Francois-Charles, 2000.
"Shaping intergenerational relationships: the demonstration effect,"
Economics Letters,
Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 255-261, September.
- Jellal, Mohamed & wolff, François charles, 2000. "Shaping intergenerational relationships the demonstration effect," MPRA Paper 38512, University Library of Munich, Germany.
- Cigno, Alessandro & Rosati, Furio C., 1996. "Jointly determined saving and fertility behaviour: Theory, and estimates for Germany, Italy, UK and USA," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 40(8), pages 1561-1589, November.
- Barmby, T & Cigno, A, 1990. "A Sequential Probability Model of Fertility Patterns," Journal of Population Economics, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 31-51, April.
Citations
Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.Cited by:
- Andreas Schäfer & Simone Valente, 2007.
"Habit Formation, Dynastic Altruism, and Population Dynamics,"
CER-ETH Economics working paper series
07/77, CER-ETH - Center of Economic Research (CER-ETH) at ETH Zurich.
- Schäfer, Andreas & Valente, Simone, 2011. "Habit Formation, Dynastic Altruism, And Population Dynamics," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 15(03), pages 365-397, June.
- Sarmistha Pal, 2004. "Do Children Act As Old Age Security in Rural India? Evidence from an Analysis of Elderly Living Arrangements," Labor and Demography 0405002, EconWPA, revised 15 Oct 2004.
- Sarmistha Pal, 2006.
"Elderly Health, Wealth and Coresidence with Adult Children in Rural India,"
Economics and Finance Discussion Papers
06-17, Economics and Finance Section, School of Social Sciences, Brunel University.
- Sarmistha Pal, 2006. "Elderly Health, Wealth and Co-residence with Adult Children in Rural India," CEDI Discussion Paper Series 06-09, Centre for Economic Development and Institutions(CEDI), Brunel University.
- Jellal, Mohamed & Bouzahzah, Mohamed, 2012.
"Social security family finance and demography,"
MPRA Paper
38793, University Library of Munich, Germany.
- Jellal, Mohamed & Bouzahzah, Mohamed, 2012. "Social security family finance and demography," MPRA Paper 38804, University Library of Munich, Germany.
- Pal, Sarmistha, 2007. "Effects of Intergenerational Transfers on Elderly Coresidence with Adult Children: Evidence from Rural India," IZA Discussion Papers 2847, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
- Carmen Li & Javier Olivera, 2005. "Participation in the Peruvian reformed pension system," Economics Discussion Papers 592, University of Essex, Department of Economics.
- Appelbaum, Elie & Katz, Eliakim, 1991. "The Demand for Children in the Absence of Capital and Risk Markets: A Portfolio Approach," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 43(2), pages 292-304, April.
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