Change in the perceived reproductive age window and delayed fertility in Europe

Autor(en)

Ester Lazzari, Marie-Caroline Compans, Eva Beaujouan

Abstrakt

While extensive literature documents the massive fertility delay of recent decades, knowledge about whether and how attitudes towards the timing of births have changed in Europe remains limited. Using data from two rounds of the European Social Survey, we investigate these changes and their association with macro-level fertility indicators in 21 countries. Between 2006–07 and 2018–19, societal consensus regarding the existence of optimal childbearing ages remained strong and became more in favour of later parenthood. Decomposition analyses show that these shifts were driven only partially by changes in population composition, supporting the idea that a general attitudinal change in favour of later childbearing is underway. We also find a trend towards gender convergence in upper age limits driven by the increasing social recognition of an age deadline for men’s childbearing. Although shifts in perceived reproductive age windows occurred during periods of birth postponement, they corresponded only loosely to country-level changes in fertility.

Organisation(en)

Institut für Demografie

Externe Organisation(en)

Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital

Journal

Population Studies: a journal of demography

ISSN

0032-4728

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1080/00324728.2023.2298678

Publikationsdatum

03-2024

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

504006 Demographie

Schlagwörter

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Demography

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/32066f76-0ba4-4a1a-8f3b-eabd62d820c7