Neighborhood Effects of Ethnic Composition on Fertility among Foreign Wives in South Korea

Abstract

This paper explores the effect of ethnic composition in a neighborhood on fertility among foreign wives in Korea. In order to reveal the different aspects of neighborhood effects, it employs two measures of ethnic composition, a short-term flow and a long-term stock. For the analysis, the individual level of data from the 2009 Korean National Multi-cultural Family Survey and the aggregate level of data, calculated from the proportion of foreign wife population for 251 counties by using vital statistics, are combined. Analyses show that a short-term flow of foreign wives in a county is positively associated with fertility behavior, having more children with shorter birth intervals. In contrast, accumulated proportions of the same ethnic group in a county repress the fertility of foreign wives, having fewer children with longer birth intervals. The results suggest that ethnic congregation in the short term is beneficial for foreign wives to adjust to Korea and have a child, but the effect may become negative in the long term.