Low Fertility Around the World: The Role of Social Norms

This chapter examines how social norms shape fer lity behavior. We first present cross-country evidence linking fer lity to norms regarding family size, childcare, gender roles, paren ng, and sexual behavior. We also review empirical studies showing substan al fer lity spillovers within families, workplaces, and social networks. To interpret these pa erns, we present a series of models to clarify the mechanisms through which norms and fer lity decisions interact. We organize the theories by type of norm: norms about ideal family size, norms governing the use of market childcare, gender norms within the household, paren ng norms related to educa onal investment and social comparison, and norms surrounding birth control. We discuss how changes in social norms over me may have contributed to fer lity decline. Finally, we highlight promising direc ons for future research.