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The Negligible Effect of Free Contraception on Fertility: Experimental Evidence from Burkina Faso

Author

Listed:
  • Pascaline Dupas

    (Princeton University)

  • Seema Jayachandran

    (Princeton University)

  • Adriana Lleras-Muney

    (UCLA - University of California [Los Angeles] - UC - University of California)

  • Pauline Rossi

    (CREST - Centre de Recherche en Économie et Statistique - ENSAI - Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Analyse de l'Information [Bruz] - GENES - Groupe des Écoles Nationales d'Économie et Statistique - X - École polytechnique - IP Paris - Institut Polytechnique de Paris - ENSAE Paris - École Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Administration Économique - GENES - Groupe des Écoles Nationales d'Économie et Statistique - IP Paris - Institut Polytechnique de Paris - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, GENES - Groupe des Écoles Nationales d'Économie et Statistique, ENSAE Paris - École Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Administration Économique - GENES - Groupe des Écoles Nationales d'Économie et Statistique - IP Paris - Institut Polytechnique de Paris)

Abstract

We conducted a randomized trial among 14,545 households in rural Burkina Faso to test the oft-cited hypothesis that limited access to contraception is an important driver of high fertility rates in West Africa. We do not find support for this hypothesis. Women who were given free access to modern contraception for three years did not have lower birth rates; we can reject even modest effects. We cross-randomized additional interventions to address inefficiencies that might depress demand for free contraception, specifically misperceptions about the child mortality rate and social norms. Free contraception did not significantly influence fertility even in combination with these interventions.

Suggested Citation

  • Pascaline Dupas & Seema Jayachandran & Adriana Lleras-Muney & Pauline Rossi, 2025. "The Negligible Effect of Free Contraception on Fertility: Experimental Evidence from Burkina Faso ," Post-Print hal-05272203, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05272203
    DOI: 10.1257/aer.20241305
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05272203v1
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    Cited by:

    1. Andreottola, Michele & Basenya, Olivier & Orozco Olvera, Victor Hugo & Reichert,Arndt & Spinola,Paula, 2025. "Community Health Workers as Key Providers of Easy-to-Use Contraceptive Injectables : Experimental Evidence from Rural Burundi," Policy Research Working Paper Series 11074, The World Bank.
    2. Sevin Kaytan & Stwarth Piedra-Bonilla & Tom Zohar, 2025. "The Complementary Role of Information and Contraceptive Access in Teen Pregnancy," Working Papers wp2025_2507, CEMFI.
    3. Martha J. Bailey & Emilia Brito Rebolledo & Deniz Gorgulu & Kelsey Figone & Vanessa W. Lang & Alexa Prettyman & Vanessa Dalton, 2025. "Does Increasing Financial Access to Contraception in the U.S. Reduce Undesired Pregnancies? Evidence from the M-CARES Randomized Control Trial at Two Years," NBER Working Papers 34400, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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