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Meet the Parents? Family Size and the Geographic Proximity Between Adult Children and Older Mothers in Sweden

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  • Helena Holmlund
  • Helmut Rainer
  • Thomas Siedler

Abstract

The aim of this study is to estimate the causal effect of family size on the proximity between older mothers and adult children by using a large administrative data set from Sweden. Our main results show that adult children in Sweden are not constrained by sibship size in choosing where to live: for families with more than one child, sibship size does not affect child-mother proximity. For aging parents, however, having fewer children reduces the probability of having at least one child living nearby, which is likely to have consequences for the intensity of intergenerational contact and eldercare. Copyright Population Association of America 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Helena Holmlund & Helmut Rainer & Thomas Siedler, 2013. "Meet the Parents? Family Size and the Geographic Proximity Between Adult Children and Older Mothers in Sweden," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 50(3), pages 903-931, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:demogr:v:50:y:2013:i:3:p:903-931
    DOI: 10.1007/s13524-012-0181-1
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    2. Anna Baranowska-Rataj & Anita Abramowska-Kmon, 2019. "Number of children and social contacts among older people: the moderating role of filial norms and social policies," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 95-107, March.
    3. Öberg, Stefan, 2018. "Instrumental variables based on twin births are by definition not valid," Göteborg Papers in Economic History 23, University of Gothenburg, Unit for Economic History.
    4. Hui Li & Chengyun Duan & Miao David Chunyu, 2021. "A Study of the Factors Influencing the Residential Preferences of the Elderly in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-20, May.
    5. Linda Kridahl, 2017. "Retirement timing and grandparenthood: A population-based study on Sweden," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 37(31), pages 957-994.
    6. Yi Chen & Hanming Fang, 2018. "The Long-Term Consequences of Having Fewer Children in Old Age: Evidence from China’s “Later, Longer, Fewer” Campaign," NBER Working Papers 25041, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Öberg, Stefan, 2018. "Instrumental variables based on twin births are by definition not valid (v.3.0)," SocArXiv zux9s, Center for Open Science.
    8. Martin Kolk, 2015. "The causal effect of an additional sibling on completed fertility: An estimation of intergenerational fertility correlations by looking at siblings of twins," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 32(51), pages 1409-1420.
    9. Öberg, Stefan, 2021. "The casual effect of fertility: The multiple problems with instrumental variables for the number of children in families," SocArXiv peuvz, Center for Open Science.
    10. Ke Shen & Feinian Chen & Hangqing Ruan, 2021. "The mixed blessing of living together or close by: Parent–child relationship quality and life satisfaction of older adults in China," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 44(24), pages 563-594.

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