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Childlessness and the marriage market

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  • Pauline Rossi

    (CREST - Ecole Polytechnique)

Abstract

Long overlooked, childlessness is set to become a crucial topic in demography. It is linked to heated debates about ultra-low fertility among women and involuntary celibacy among men. In this article, I present key facts on female and male childlessness using large-scale surveys in 117 countries. The proportion of men who never have children is higher than that of women in most contexts. To understand why, I explore the role of general equilibrium effects on the marriage market: can a man be involuntarily childless due to a relative shortage of female partners? I summarize the results of three projects examining skewed sex ratios in Asia, polygamy in Africa and serial monogamy (divorce and remarriage) in Europe. I conclude that market features are quantitatively important drivers of gender gaps in childlessness, supporting the premise that the marriage market shapes reproductive inequalities in ways that deserve more exploration.

Suggested Citation

  • Pauline Rossi, 2026. "Childlessness and the marriage market," Working Papers 2026-07, Center for Research in Economics and Statistics.
    • Handle: RePEc:crs:wpaper:2026-07
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