IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/iza/izadps/dp16159.html

Religion, Ideology and Fertility

Author

Listed:
  • Kumo, Kazuhiro

    (Hitotsubashi University)

  • Perugini, Cristiano

    (University of Perugia)

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate how attachment to religion is connected to conservative gender role beliefs and to what extent they, in turn, materialize into fertility decisions. We also test the hypothesis that exposure to gender-progressive political regimes and ideology can weaken this chain of effects, by eroding either the way religion shapes gender roles or the impact of gender beliefs on fertility. Our empirical analysis is based on World Value Survey (WVS) data for five Muslim ex-Soviet Republics vis-à-vis seven other Muslim countries in the neighbouring regions. Results highlight that higher attachment to religion is in both groups associated with more traditional gender roles; however, the link is significantly weaker for the individuals of former communist countries who spent their formative age under Soviet rule. More conservative gender beliefs, in turn, do not translate into higher fertility in Muslim ex-USSR Republics, while the opposite holds for other Muslim countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Kumo, Kazuhiro & Perugini, Cristiano, 2023. "Religion, Ideology and Fertility," IZA Discussion Papers 16159, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16159
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://docs.iza.org/dp16159.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Peter McDonald, 2000. "Gender Equity in Theories of Fertility Transition," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 26(3), pages 427-439, September.
    2. Gary S. Becker, 1981. "A Treatise on the Family," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number beck81-1, January.
    3. Nitzan Peri-Rotem, 2016. "Religion and Fertility in Western Europe: Trends Across Cohorts in Britain, France and the Netherlands," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 32(2), pages 231-265, May.
    4. Kevin McQuillan, 2004. "When Does Religion Influence Fertility?," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 30(1), pages 25-56, March.
    5. Moundir Lassassi & Aysit Tansel, 2020. "Female labor force participation in five selected MENA countries: An age-period-cohort analysis," Koç University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum Working Papers 2018, Koc University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum.
    6. Alberto Alesina & Nicola Fuchs-Schündeln, 2007. "Goodbye Lenin (or Not?): The Effect of Communism on People," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 97(4), pages 1507-1528, September.
    7. Mary C. Brinton & Dong-Ju Lee, 2016. "Gender-Role Ideology, Labor Market Institutions, and Post-industrial Fertility," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 42(3), pages 405-433, September.
    8. Udi Sommer, 2018. "Women, Demography, and Politics: How Lower Fertility Rates Lead to Democracy," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(2), pages 559-586, April.
    9. Diebolt, Claude & Mishra, Tapas & Perrin, Faustine, 2021. "Gender empowerment as an enforcer of individuals’ choice between education and fertility: Evidence from 19th century France," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 408-438.
    10. Evelyn L. Lehrer, 2004. "Religion as a Determinant of Economic and Demographic Behavior in the United States," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 30(4), pages 707-726, December.
    11. Perugini, Cristiano & Vladisavljević, Marko, 2019. "Gender inequality and the gender-job satisfaction paradox in Europe," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 129-147.
    12. Thomas Anderson & Hans-Peter Kohler, 2015. "Low Fertility, Socioeconomic Development, and Gender Equity," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 41(3), pages 381-407, September.
    13. Noriko Igarashi & Kazuhiro Kumo, 2021. "Women’s Voices: Work-Life Balance and Power Relationship in the Household in Tajikistan," Springer Books, in: Tatiana Karabchuk & Kazuhiro Kumo & Kseniia Gatskova & Ekaterina Skoglund (ed.), Gendering Post-Soviet Space, chapter 0, pages 303-332, Springer.
    14. Ross, Michael L., 2008. "Oil, Islam, and Women," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 102(1), pages 107-123, February.
    15. Ekaterina Selezneva, 2017. "Population Policies in Soviet and Modern Russia," Studies in Economic Transition, in: Demography of Russia, chapter 3, pages 63-113, Palgrave Macmillan.
    16. Christoph Bein & Anne H. Gauthier & Monika Mynarska, 2021. "Religiosity and Fertility Intentions: Can the Gender Regime Explain Cross-Country Differences?," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 37(2), pages 443-472, April.
    17. Konstantin Kazenin & Vladimir Kozlov, 2021. "Gender Relations and Transition to Motherhood in the Post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan," Springer Books, in: Tatiana Karabchuk & Kazuhiro Kumo & Kseniia Gatskova & Ekaterina Skoglund (ed.), Gendering Post-Soviet Space, chapter 0, pages 27-47, Springer.
    18. Dimiter Philipov, 2011. "Theories on fertility intentions: a demographer’s perspective," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 9(1), pages 37-45.
    19. Tatiana Karabchuk & Kazuhiro Kumo & Kseniia Gatskova & Ekaterina Skoglund (ed.), 2021. "Gendering Post-Soviet Space," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-981-15-9358-1, January.
    20. Caroline Berghammer & Dimiter Philipov, 2007. "Religion and fertility ideals, intentions and behaviour: a comparative study of European countries," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 5(1), pages 271-305.
    21. Gouda, Moamen & Potrafke, Niklas, 2016. "Gender equality in Muslim-majority countries," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 683-698.
    22. Peter Mcdonald, 2006. "Low Fertility and the State: The Efficacy of Policy," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 32(3), pages 485-510, September.
    23. Roth, Christopher & Wohlfart, Johannes, 2018. "Experienced inequality and preferences for redistribution," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 251-262.
    24. Jerg Gutmann & Stefan Voigt, 2015. "The rule of law and constitutionalism in Muslim countries," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 162(3), pages 351-380, March.
    25. Caroline Berghammer, 2012. "Church attendance and childbearing: Evidence from a Dutch panel study, 1987-2005," Population Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 66(2), pages 197-212, July.
    26. Lara Lebedinski & Cristiano Perugini & Marko Vladisavljević, 2023. "Child penalty in Russia: evidence from an event study," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 173-215, March.
    27. Goleen Samari, 2017. "Women’s Agency and Fertility: Recent Evidence from Egypt," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 36(4), pages 561-582, August.
    28. Moundir Lassasi & Aysit Tansel, 2020. "FEMALE LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION IN FIVE SELECTED MENA COUNTRIES: AN AGE- PERIOD-COHORT ANALYSIS (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine and Tunisia)," ERC Working Papers 2002, ERC - Economic Research Center, Middle East Technical University, revised Oct 2020.
    29. Li Zhang, 2008. "Religious affiliation, religiosity, and male and female fertility," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 18(8), pages 233-262.
    30. Henrik Kleven & Camille Landais & Jakob Egholt Søgaard, 2019. "Children and Gender Inequality: Evidence from Denmark," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 11(4), pages 181-209, October.
    31. MARIANA Viollaz & Hernan Winkler, 2022. "Does the Internet Reduce Gender Gaps? The Case of Jordan," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 58(3), pages 436-453, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Christoph Bein & Anne H. Gauthier & Monika Mynarska, 2021. "Religiosity and Fertility Intentions: Can the Gender Regime Explain Cross-Country Differences?," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 37(2), pages 443-472, April.
    2. Fleckenstein, Timo & Lee, Soohyun Christine & Mohun Himmelweit, Sam, 2023. "Labour market dualization, permanent insecurity and fertility: the case of ultra-low fertility in South Korea," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 117935, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Sam Hyun Yoo & Victor Agadjanian, 2021. "The paradox of change: Religion and fertility decline in South Korea," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 44(23), pages 537-562.
    4. Maryam Dilmaghani, 2019. "Religiosity, Secularity and Fertility in Canada," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 35(2), pages 403-428, May.
    5. Martin Kolk & Jan Saarela, 2024. "Religion and Fertility: A Longitudinal Register Study Examining Differences by Sex, Parity, Partner’s Religion, and Religious Conversion in Finland," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 40(1), pages 1-25, December.
    6. Barbara S. Okun, 2017. "Religiosity and Fertility: Jews in Israel," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 33(4), pages 475-507, October.
    7. Nicholas Campisi & Hill Kulu & Júlia Mikolai & Sebastian Klüsener & Mikko Myrskylä, 2020. "A spatial perspective on the Nordic fertility decline: the role of economic and social uncertainty in fertility trends," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2020-036, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    8. Janetta Nestorová Dická & Filip Lipták, 2024. "Regional fertility predictors based on socioeconomic determinants in Slovakia," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 41(3), pages 1-43, September.
    9. Samuel H. Preston & Caroline Sten Hartnett, 2010. "The Future of American Fertility," NBER Chapters, in: Demography and the Economy, pages 11-36, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Lebedinski, Lara & Liedl, Bernd & Skirbekk, Vegard & Steiber, Nadia & Winter-Ebmer, Rudolf, 2025. "Faith and the Child Penalty: Religious Affiliation and Gendered Earnings Losses After Childbirth," IHS Working Paper Series 59, Institute for Advanced Studies.
    11. Julia Behrman & Jeylan Erman, 2019. "An exploration of differences in ideal family size between Muslim and non-Muslim women in France," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 41(22), pages 617-648.
    12. Victor Leocádio & Ana Paula Verona & Simone Wajnman, 2025. "A review of research of the relationship between gender equity and fertility in low-fertility settings," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 1-26, March.
    13. Charalampos Dantis & Ester Lucia Rizzi & Thomas Baudin, 2023. "The Association between Religiosity and Fertility Intentions Via Grandparenting: Evidence from GGS Data," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 39(1), pages 1-24, December.
    14. Zsolt Spéder & Balázs Kapitány, 2009. "How are Time-Dependent Childbearing Intentions Realized? Realization, Postponement, Abandonment, Bringing Forward," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 25(4), pages 503-523, November.
    15. Laura Cavalli & Alessandro Bucciol & Paolo Pertile & Veronica Polin & Nicola Sartor & Alessandro Sommacal, 2012. "Modelling life-course decisions for the analysis of interpersonal and intrapersonal redistribution," Working Papers 25/2012, University of Verona, Department of Economics.
    16. Bampinas, Georgios & Mavropoulos, Georgios, 2024. "Asymmetric effects between economic development and fertility: What do 140 years of data tell us?," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 30(C).
    17. Maricruz Lacalle-Calderon & Manuel Perez-Trujillo & Isabel Neira, 2017. "Fertility and Economic Development: Quantile Regression Evidence on the Inverse J-shaped Pattern," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 33(1), pages 1-31, February.
    18. repec:osf:socarx:cw8xd_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Serap Kavas & Arland Thornton, 2025. "The influence of developmental idealism on Turkish parents’ intention to continue childbearing," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 1-47, June.
    20. Niklas Potrafke, 2016. "Erratum to: Policies against human trafficking: the role of religion and political institutions," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 387-396, November.
    21. Sascha O. Becker & Jeanet Sinding Bentzen & Chun Chee Kok, 2025. "Gender and Religion: A Survey," RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series 25111, ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • 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
    • Z12 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Religion
    • P20 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - General

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16159. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Mark Fallak (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/izaaalu.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.