Higher education and the income-fertility nexus

IF 6.1 2区 经济学
Holger Strulik
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Fertility and income are negatively related at the aggregate level. However, evidence from recent periods suggests that increasing income leads to higher fertility at the individual level. In this paper, I provide a simple theory that resolves the apparent contradiction. I consider the education and fertility choices of individuals with different learning abilities. Acquiring higher education requires an investment of time and income. As a result, people with higher education have fewer children but, controlling for the level of education, increasing income leads to higher fertility. Rising income and skill premiums motivate more people to pursue higher education, resulting in a negative income-fertility association at the aggregate level. I investigate the explanatory power of the theory in a model calibrated for the US during 1950–2010.

Abstract Image

高等教育与收入-生育率的关系
在总体水平上,生育率与收入呈负相关。然而,近期的证据表明,收入增加会导致个人生育率提高。在本文中,我提供了一个简单的理论来解决这个明显的矛盾。我考虑了具有不同学习能力的个人的教育和生育选择。接受高等教育需要投入时间和收入。因此,受教育程度较高的人生育的孩子较少,但在控制教育水平的情况下,收入的增加会导致生育率的提高。收入和技能溢价的上升促使更多的人接受高等教育,从而在总体水平上导致收入-生育率负相关。我在 1950-2010 年美国的校准模型中研究了该理论的解释力。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
9.60
自引率
6.60%
发文量
50
期刊介绍: The Journal of Population Economics is an international quarterly that publishes original theoretical and applied research in all areas of population economics. Micro-level topics examine individual, household or family behavior, including household formation, marriage, divorce, fertility choices, education, labor supply, migration, health, risky behavior and aging. Macro-level investigations may address such issues as economic growth with exogenous or endogenous population evolution, population policy, savings and pensions, social security, housing, and health care. The journal also features research into economic approaches to human biology, the relationship between population dynamics and public choice, and the impact of population on the distribution of income and wealth. Lastly, readers will find papers dealing with policy issues and development problems that are relevant to population issues.The journal is published in collaboration with POP at UNU-MERIT, the Global Labor Organization (GLO) and the European Society for Population Economics (ESPE).Officially cited as: J Popul Econ Factor (RePEc): 13.576 (July 2018) Rank 69 of 2102 journals listed in RePEc
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