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Childlessness and Economic Development: A Survey

Author

Listed:
  • Thomas Baudin

    (IÉSEG School of Management)

  • David de la Croix

    (UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES))

  • Paula E. Gobbi

    (ECARES, Université libre de Bruxelles & CEPR, London)

Abstract

This paper provides an introduction to the analysis of childlessness, first by describing the stylized facts and the relevant literature, and then by proposing a theoretical framework. We show that both poverty-driven childlessness and opportunity-driven childlessness matter and are essential to a thorough understanding of childlessness as a socioeconomic phenomenon.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Baudin & David de la Croix & Paula E. Gobbi, 2019. "Childlessness and Economic Development: A Survey," LIDAM Discussion Papers IRES 2019001, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES).
    • Handle: RePEc:ctl:louvir:2019001
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    File URL: https://sites.uclouvain.be/econ/DP/IRES/2019001.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hiller, Victor & Baudin, Thomas, 2016. "Cultural transmission and the evolution of gender roles," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 8-23.
    2. David de la Croix & Marie Vander Donckt, 2010. "Would Empowering Women Initiate the Demographic Transition in Least Developed Countries?," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 4(2), pages 85-129.
    3. Sandra Brée & David de la Croix, 2019. "Key forces behind the decline of fertility: lessons from childlessness in Rouen before the industrial revolution," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 13(1), pages 25-54, January.
    4. Thomas Baudin & Victor Hiller, 2019. "On the dynamics of gender differences in preferences," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 71(3), pages 503-527.
    5. David de la Croix & Omar Licandro, 2015. "The longevity of famous people from Hammurabi to Einstein," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 263-303, September.
    6. de la CROIX, David & VANDER DONCKT, Marie, 2008. "Would empowering women initiate the demographic transition in least-developed countries?," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2008043, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    7. Paula Gobbi, 2013. "A model of voluntary childlessness," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 26(3), pages 963-982, July.
    8. Iyigun, Murat & Lafortune, Jeanne, 2016. "Why Wait? A Century of Education, Marriage Timing and Gender Roles," IZA Discussion Papers 9671, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Thomas Baudin, 2011. "Family Policies: What Does the Standard Endogenous Fertility Model Tell Us?," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 13(4), pages 555-593, August.
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    12. de la Croix, David & Pommeret, Aude, 2021. "Childbearing postponement, its option value, and the biological clock," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    13. Jan Van Bavel, 2012. "The reversal of gender inequality in education, union formation and fertility in Europe," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 10(1), pages 127-154.
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    18. David de la Croix & Eric B. Schneider & Jacob Weisdorf, 2017. ""Decessit sine prole" Childlessness, Celibacy, and Survival of the Richest in Pre-Industrial England," LIDAM Discussion Papers IRES 2017001, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES).
    19. repec:cai:popine:popu_p1972_27n4-5_0701 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Cited by:

    1. Bethencourt, Carlos & Santos-Torres, Daniel, 2023. "Gender-role identity in adolescence and women fertility in adulthood," MPRA Paper 116321, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Childlessness; fertility; education; marriage; children; sterility; economic development; poverty-driven childlessness; opportunity-driven childlessness; female empowerment; childcare; Malthusian economy; educational homogamy; reproductive health; demographic economics; developed countries; developing countries; historical childlessness; quantity and quality of children; inequality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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