This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Desired fertility and the impact of population policies

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Pritchett, Lant H.
DEC

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Abstract

Ninety percent of the differences across countries in total fertility rates are accounted for solely by differences in women's reported desired fertility. Using desired fertility constructed from both retrospective and prospective questions, together with instrumental variables estimation, it is shown this strong result is not affected by either ex-post rationalization of births nor the dependence of desired fertility on contraceptive access or cost. Moreover, despite the obvious role of contraception as a proximate determinant of fertility, the additional effect of contraceptive availability or family planning on fertility is quantitatively small and explains very little cross country variation. These empirical results are consistent with theories in which fertility is determined by parent's choices about children within the social, educational, economic, and cultural environment that parents, and especially women, face. They contradict theories that assert a large causal role for expansion of contraception in the reduction of fertility.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/1994/03/01/000009265_3961006132547/Rendered/PDF/multi0page.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Paper provided by The World Bank in its series Policy Research Working Paper Series with number 1273.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Length:
Date of creation: 31 Mar 1994
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:1273

Contact details of provider:
Postal: 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20433
Email:
Web page: http://www.worldbank.org/
More information through EDIRC

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Roula I. Yazigi).

Related research
Keywords: Reproductive Health; Gender and Social Development; Life Sciences&Biotechnology; Biodiversity; Poverty Reduction Strategies;

Other versions of this item:

References listed on IDEAS
Please 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.:
  1. Deaton, Angus S & Muellbauer, John, 1986. "On Measuring Child Costs: With Applications to Poor Countries," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(4), pages 720-44, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Peter H. Lindert, 1980. "Child Costs and Economic Development," NBER Chapters, in: Population and Economic Change in Developing Countries, pages 5-80 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!]
  3. Rosenzweig, Mark R. & Paul Schultz, T., 1987. "Fertility and investments in human capital : Estimates of the consequence of imperfect fertility control in Malaysia," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1-2), pages 163-184. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Robert J. Barro & Jong-Wha Lee, 1993. "International Comparisons of Educational Attainment," NBER Working Papers 4349, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  5. Robert J. Barro & Jong-Wha Lee, 1993. "Losers and Winners in Economic Growth," NBER Working Papers 4341, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Summers, Lawrence H., 1992. "Investing in all the people," Policy Research Working Paper Series 905, The World Bank. [Downloadable!]
  7. Rosenzweig, Mark R & Schultz, T Paul, 1985. "The Demand for and Supply of Births: Fertility and Its Life Cycle Consequences," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(5), pages 992-1015, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Kelley, Allen C, 1988. "Economic Consequences of Population Change in the Third World," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 26(4), pages 1685-1728, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please 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.)

  1. Hammer, Jeffrey S, 1997. "Economic Analysis for Health Projects," World Bank Research Observer, Oxford University Press, vol. 12(1), pages 47-71, February. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. David E. Bloom & David Canning, 2004. "Global Demographic Change: Dimensions and Economic Significance," NBER Working Papers 10817, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Sebnem Kalemli-Ozcan, 2006. "AIDS, "Reversal" of the Demographic Transition and Economic Development: Evidence from Africa," NBER Working Papers 12181, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Seema Jayachandran & Ilyana Kuziemko, 2009. "Why Do Mothers Breastfeed Girls Less Than Boys? Evidence and Implications for Child Health in India," NBER Working Papers 15041, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  5. Michal Bauer & Julie Chytilová & Pavel Streblov, 2007. "Effects of Education on Determinants of High Desired Fertility: Evidence from Ugandan Villages," AUCO Czech Economic Review, Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Economic Studies, vol. 1(3), pages 286-301, November. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. Sonia Bhalotra & Arthur van Soest, 2006. "Birth Spacing, Fertility and Neonatal Mortality in India: Dynamics, Frailty and Fecundity," IZA Discussion Papers 2163, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Michael A. Clemens, 2004. "The Long Walk to School: International education goals in historical perspective," Development and Comp Systems 0403007, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. David E. Bloom & David Canning & Pia N. Malaney, 1999. "Demographic Change and Economic Growth in Asia," CID Working Papers 15, Center for International Development at Harvard University. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  9. Stephan Klasen, 2004. "In Search of the Holy Grail: How to Achieve Pro-Poor Growth?," Macroeconomics 0401005, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  10. Michael Clemens & Charles Kenny & Todd Moss, 2004. "The Trouble with the MDGs: Confronting Expectations of Aid and Development Success," Development and Comp Systems 0405011, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  11. Stephan Klasen & David Lawson, 2007. "The Impact of Population Growth on Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction in Uganda," Departmental Discussion Papers 133, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics, revised 25 May 2007. [Downloadable!]
  12. Grant Miller, 2005. "Contraception as Development? New Evidence from Family Planning in Colombia," NBER Working Papers 11704, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Seebens, Holger, 2006. "Bargaining over Fertility in Rural Ethiopia," Proceedings of the German Development Economics Conference, Berlin 2006 25, Verein für Socialpolitik, Research Committee Development Economics. [Downloadable!]
  14. Parfait M. Eloundou-Enyegue & C. Shannon Stokes, 2007. "Demographic transitions and children's resources: growth or divergence?," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 16(7), pages 195-218, March. [Downloadable!]
  15. Seema Jayachandran, 2009. "Why Do Mothers Breastfeed Girls Less Than Boys? Evidence and Implications for Child Health in India," Working Papers id:2041, esocialsciences.com. [Downloadable!]
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? IDEAS also indexes software components.

This page was last updated on 2009-11-26.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.