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Peer Effects And Fertility Preferences In China: Evidence From The China Labor-Force Dynamics Survey

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  • PENG NIE

    (School of Economics and Finance, Xi’an Jiaotong University, 710061 Xi’an, P. R. China†Institute for Health Care & Public Management, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany‡IZA, Bonn, Germany§Health Econometrics and Data Group, University of York, UK)

  • LU WANG

    (School of Economics and Finance, Xi’an Jiaotong University, 710061 Xi’an, P. R. China)

  • ALFONSO SOUSA-POZA

    (School of Economics and Finance, Xi’an Jiaotong University, 710061 Xi’an, P. R. China†Institute for Health Care & Public Management, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany‡IZA, Bonn, Germany)

Abstract

Despite empirical evidence that individuals form their fertility preferences by observing social norms and interactions in their environments, the exact impact of these peer effects remains unclear. We thus use data from the 2014 and 2016 China Labor-force Dynamics Survey to investigate the association between community-level peer effects and fertility preferences among Chinese women aged 18–49. Whereas our baseline results indicate that 11.96% of these women would prefer 1 or no children, 74.1% would like 2 children and 13.93% would prefer 3 or more children. A one unit increase in community-level peer fertility reduces the preference of wanting only one child by 14.3%, whereas it increases the probability of preferring three children by 9.3% and four or more children by 4.8%. Hence, overall, we find a relatively strong peer effect on individual fertility preferences in communities characterized by generally low fertility rates, which provide support for the role of social norms in the fertility choices of reproductive-aged Chinese women.

Suggested Citation

  • Peng Nie & Lu Wang & Alfonso Sousa-Poza, 2025. "Peer Effects And Fertility Preferences In China: Evidence From The China Labor-Force Dynamics Survey," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 70(03), pages 695-723, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:wsi:serxxx:v:70:y:2025:i:03:n:s0217590821500120
    DOI: 10.1142/S0217590821500120
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    Keywords

    Peer effects; fertility; fertility preferences; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • D71 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Social Choice; Clubs; Committees; Associations
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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