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Regional differentiation in women’s educational gradients in fertility around the turn of the century: Urban-rural differences in northern and western Europe

Author

Listed:
  • Jonas Wood
  • Leen Marynissen
  • Jessica Nisén
  • Peter Fallesen
  • Karel Neels
  • Alessandra Trimarchi
  • Lars Dommermuth
  • Ruben van Gaalen
  • Martin Kolk
  • Pekka Martikainen

Abstract

Scholars agree that educational gradients in fertility vary by context, with indications of more positive educational gradients in northern and western Europe since the turn of the century. However, despite theoretical and empirical research on rural-urban differences in fertility, our understanding of subnational regional variation and urban-rural differences in the relationship between education and fertility remains limited. Utilising large-scale administrative data from seven countries (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden) at around the turn of the century, this study identifies substantial subnational regional differences in the association between female education on the one hand, and birth hazards or synthetic parity progression ratios on the other. With respect to urbanisation, we find that higher shares of foreign-born women in more urbanised populations are associated with more negative educational gradients in fertility. Hence, we present a first descriptive step towards the development of a research agenda to explain regional and urban-rural variation in educational gradients in fertility.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonas Wood & Leen Marynissen & Jessica Nisén & Peter Fallesen & Karel Neels & Alessandra Trimarchi & Lars Dommermuth & Ruben van Gaalen & Martin Kolk & Pekka Martikainen, 2025. "Regional differentiation in women’s educational gradients in fertility around the turn of the century: Urban-rural differences in northern and western Europe," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 23(1), pages 489-514.
    • Handle: RePEc:vid:yearbk:v:23:y:2025:i:1:oid:0x00405568
    DOI: 10.1553/p-4cgn-nz7f
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Francesco C. Billari, 2015. "Integrating macro- and micro-level approaches in the explanation of population change," Population Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 69(sup1), pages 11-20, April.
    2. Jonas Wood & Karel Neels, 2019. "Local Childcare Availability and Dual-Earner Fertility: Variation in Childcare Coverage and Birth Hazards Over Place and Time," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 35(5), pages 913-937, December.
    3. Hill Kulu, 2013. "Why Do Fertility Levels Vary between Urban and Rural Areas?," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(6), pages 895-912, June.
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