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Culture and the Historical Fertility Transition

Author

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  • Brian Beach
  • W Walker Hanlon

Abstract

The historical transition to a low fertility regime was central for long-run growth, but what caused it? Existing economic explanations largely focus on the economic incentives to limit fertility. This article presents new evidence highlighting the importance of cultural forces as a complementary driver of the fertility transition. We leverage a sharp change in fertility in Britain in 1877 and document large synchronized declines in fertility among culturally British households residing outside of Britain, in Canada, the US, and South Africa, relative to their non-British neighbours. We propose a plausible catalyst for the change: the famous Bradlaugh–Besant trial of 1877.

Suggested Citation

  • Brian Beach & W Walker Hanlon, 2023. "Culture and the Historical Fertility Transition," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 90(4), pages 1669-1700.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:restud:v:90:y:2023:i:4:p:1669-1700.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/restud/rdac059
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    Cited by:

    1. Ciccarelli, Carlo & Fenske, James & Martí Henneberg, Jordi, 2023. "Railways and the European Fertility Transition," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1477, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.

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