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Assessing Short-Term Fertility Intentions and Their Realisation Using the Generations and Gender Survey: Pitfalls and Challenges

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  • Zuzanna Brzozowska

    (Vienna University of Economics and Business
    Masaryk University)

  • Eva Beaujouan

    (Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (IIASA, OeAW, University of Vienna))

Abstract

The use of fertility intention questions to study individual childbearing behaviour has developed rapidly in recent decades. In Europe, the Generations and Gender Surveys are the main sources of cross-national data on fertility intentions and their realisation. This study investigates how an inconsistent implementation of a question about wanting a child now affects the cross-country comparability of intentions to have a child within the next three years and their realisation. We conduct our analysis separately for women and men at prime and late reproductive ages in Austria, France, Italy and Poland. The results show that the overall share of respondents intending to have a child at some point in their life is similar in all four analysed countries. However, once the time horizon and the degree of certainty of fertility intentions are included, substantial cross-country differences appear, particularly in terms of proceptive behaviour and, consequently, the realisation of fertility intentions. We conclude that the inconsistent questionnaire adaptation makes it very difficult to assess the role of country context in the realisation of childbearing intentions.

Suggested Citation

  • Zuzanna Brzozowska & Eva Beaujouan, 2021. "Assessing Short-Term Fertility Intentions and Their Realisation Using the Generations and Gender Survey: Pitfalls and Challenges," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 37(2), pages 405-416, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eurpop:v:37:y:2021:i:2:d:10.1007_s10680-020-09573-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s10680-020-09573-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Elizabeth Thomson, 1997. "Couple childbearing desires, intentions, and births," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 34(3), pages 343-354, August.
    2. Doris Hanappi & Valérie-Anne Ryser & Laura Bernardi & Jean-Marie Le Goff, 2017. "Changes in Employment Uncertainty and the Fertility Intention–Realization Link: An Analysis Based on the Swiss Household Panel," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 33(3), pages 381-407, July.
    3. Michael Wagner & Johannes Huinink & Aart C. Liefbroer, 2019. "Running out of time? Understanding the consequences of the biological clock for the dynamics of fertility intentions and union formation," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 40(1), pages 1-26.
    4. repec:cai:poeine:pope_1102_0361 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Warren B. Miller, 2011. "REFEREED ARTICLES - Differences between fertility desires and intentions: implications for theory, research and policy," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 9(1), pages 75-98.
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