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Male fertility in Greece

Author

Listed:
  • Alexandra Tragaki

    (Harokopio University)

  • Christos Bagavos

    (Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences)

Abstract

Background: More than downplayed, the role of men in the demographic analysis of reproduction has been entirely neglected. However, male fertility can be an important issue for exploring how economic and employment uncertainties relate to fertility and family dynamics. Objective: This paper intends to study fertility variations over time, relying solely on data referring to father’s socio-demographic characteristics; in particular, their age, education level, and employment status. Methods: We use a combination of Labor Force Survey and Demographic Statistics data on population and Vital Statistics on births to estimate male fertility indicators and fertility differentials by education level and employment status, for the period 1992-2011 in Greece. In addition, over-time developments in male TFR are separated into structural (education-specific and employment-specific distributions) and behavioral (fertility, per se) changes. Results: We find that the male fertility level is declining, the fertility pattern is moving into higher ages, and the reproduction period for men is getting shorter. From 1992 up to 2008, changes in male fertility were mostly driven by behavioral rather than compositional factors. However, the decline of male fertility over the period of economic recession (2008-2011) is largely attributed to the continuous decrease in the proportions of employed men. Conclusions: The study suggests that male fertility merits further exploration. In particular, years of economic downturn and countries where household living standards are mostly associated with male employment, a father’s employability is likely to emerge as an increasingly important factor of fertility outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexandra Tragaki & Christos Bagavos, 2014. "Male fertility in Greece," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 31(6), pages 137-160.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:31:y:2014:i:6
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2014.31.6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Christos Bagavos & Alexandra Tragaki, 2017. "The compositional effects of education and employment on Greek male and female fertility rates during 2000‒2014," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(47), pages 1435-1452.
    3. Federico Benassi & Luca Salvati, 2019. "Economic downturns and compositional effects in regional population structures by age: a multi-temporal analysis in Greek regions, 1981–2017," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 53(5), pages 2611-2633, September.
    4. Massimo Cecchini & Sirio Cividino & Rosario Turco & Luca Salvati, 2019. "Population Age Structure, Complex Socio-Demographic Systems and Resilience Potential: A Spatio-Temporal, Evenness-Based Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-12, April.
    5. Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir & Sirio Cividino & Gianluca Egidi & Rosanna Salvia & Luca Salvati, 2020. "Rapidity of Change in Population Age Structures: A Local Approach Based on Multiway Factor Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-13, April.
    6. Bruno Schoumaker, 2017. "Measuring male fertility rates in developing countries with Demographic and Health Surveys: An assessment of three methods," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(28), pages 803-850.
    7. Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir & Gianluca Egidi & Rosanna Salvia & Luca Salvati & Adele Sateriano & Antonio Gimenez-Morera, 2021. "Recession, Local Fertility, and Urban Sustainability: Results of a Quasi-Experiment in Greece, 1991–2018," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-18, January.
    8. Gianluca Egidi & Luca Salvati, 2021. "Changes over time in the spatial structure of fertility rates as a dynamic indicator of urban transformations," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 55(1), pages 151-172, February.
    9. Alessandra Trimarchi & Jan Van Bavel, 2018. "Gender differences and similarities in the educational gradient in fertility: The role of earnings potential and gender composition in study disciplines," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 39(13), pages 381-414.
    10. Ashira Menashe-Oren & David A. Sánchez-Páez, 2023. "Male Fertility and Internal Migration in Rural and Urban Sub-Saharan Africa," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 39(1), pages 1-40, December.
    11. Jessica Nisén & Pekka Martikainen & Mikko Myrskylä & Karri Silventoinen, 2018. "Education, Other Socioeconomic Characteristics Across the Life Course, and Fertility Among Finnish Men," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 34(3), pages 337-366, August.
    12. Luca Salvati, 2018. "Population growth and the economic crisis: understanding latent patterns of change in Greece, 2002–2016," Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences, Springer, vol. 11(2), pages 105-126, July.
    13. Luca Salvati, 2020. "Demographic Dynamics, Urban Cycles and Economic Downturns: A Long-term Investigation of a Metropolitan Region in Europe, 1956–2016," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 39(3), pages 549-575, June.
    14. Rosanna Salvia & Gianluca Egidi & Luca Salvati & Jesús Rodrigo-Comino & Giovanni Quaranta, 2020. "In-Between ‘Smart’ Urban Growth and ‘Sluggish’ Rural Development? Reframing Population Dynamics in Greece, 1940–2019," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-18, July.
    15. Samaneh Sadat Nickayin & Bogdana Nosova & Rosario Turco & Massimiliano Giacalone & Luca Salvati, 2022. "Demographic Change and the Urban–Rural Divide: Understanding the Role of Density and Agglomeration in Fertility Transitions," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-16, November.
    16. Christos Bagavos, 2017. "Do different educational pairings lead to different fertility outcomes? A cohort perspective for the Greek case," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 15(1), pages 215-237.
    17. Leonardo Salvatore Alaimo & Mariateresa Ciommi & Ioannis Vardopoulos & Bogdana Nosova & Luca Salvati, 2022. "The Medium-Term Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Population Dynamics: The Case of Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-12, October.
    18. Giuseppe Ricciardo Lamonica & Gloria Polinesi & Luca Salvati, 2022. "Sprawl or Segregation? Local Fertility as a Proxy of Socio-spatial Disparities Under Sequential Economic Downturns," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 164(3), pages 1129-1160, December.
    19. Luca Salvati & Margherita Carlucci & Pere Serra & Ilaria Zambon, 2019. "Demographic Transitions and Socioeconomic Development in Italy, 1862–2009: A Brief Overview," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, January.

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    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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