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Adult Mortality, AIDS, and Fertility in Rural Malawi

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  • Dick Durevall
  • Annika Lindskog

Abstract

type="main"> The future course of fertility is a major determinant of economic development in many sub-Saharan countries, so understanding how HIV/AIDS affects childbearing is of great interest. We show that fertility responds negatively to female mortality and positively to male mortality and that the overall fertility response is small. The negative effect of female mortality is in line with earlier studies that only focus on women and their infection and mortality risks, while the finding of a positive effect of adult-male mortality is novel. One interpretation of this finding is that women who perceive a high risk of their husbands' or grown-up sons' deaths are likely to want to have more children to ensure future support.

Suggested Citation

  • Dick Durevall & Annika Lindskog, 2016. "Adult Mortality, AIDS, and Fertility in Rural Malawi," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 54(3), pages 215-242, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:deveco:v:54:y:2016:i:3:p:215-242
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    Cited by:

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    2. Ruben Castro & Jere Behrman & Hans-Peter Kohler, 2015. "Perception of HIV risk and the quantity and quality of children: the case of rural Malawi," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 28(1), pages 113-132, January.
    3. Gori, Luca & Lupi, Enrico & Manfredi, Piero & Sodini, Mauro, 2020. "A contribution to the theory of economic development and the demographic transition: fertility reversal under the HIV epidemic," Journal of Demographic Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 86(2), pages 125-155, June.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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