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A Theory of Demographic Transition and Fertility Rebound in the Process of Economic Development

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  • Dimitrios Varvarigos

Abstract

Recent evidence of increasing fertility rates in developed countries, offers support to the idea that, from the onset of early industrialisation to the present day, the dynamics of fertility can be represented by an N-shaped curve. An OLG model with parental investment in human capital can account for these observed movements in fertility rates during the different phases of demographic change. A demographic transition with declining fertility emerges at the intermediate phase, when parents engage on a child quantity-quality tradeoff. At later stages however, the continuing process of economic growth generates sufficient resources so that households can rear more children while still providing the desirable amount of educational investment per child.

Suggested Citation

  • Dimitrios Varvarigos, 2013. "A Theory of Demographic Transition and Fertility Rebound in the Process of Economic Development," Discussion Papers in Economics 13/19, Division of Economics, School of Business, University of Leicester.
    • Handle: RePEc:lec:leecon:13/19
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    Cited by:

    1. Piotr Dominiak & Ewa Lechman & Anna Okonowicz, 2015. "Fertility Rebound And Economic Growth. New Evidence For 18 Countries Over The Period 1970–2011," Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 10(1), pages 91-112, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Demographic transition; Fertility rebound; Human capital;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models

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