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The influence of partnership status on fertility intentions of childless women and men across European countries

Sturm, Nadia (2020) The influence of partnership status on fertility intentions of childless women and men across European countries. Master thesis.

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Abstract

Background: Absence of a suitable partner is the most frequently given reason for unmet fertility expectations across European countries. Especially when nearing the socially acceptable age limit for childbirth, the presence of a partner could influence fertility intentions more strongly. Studies provide evidence of positive effects of partnership on fertility intentions, but results in terms of a variation in this relation across the life course are mixed. Objective: I am analysing how overall fertility intentions of childless men and women are influenced by partnership status and how this relation varies by age and across countries. Data and methods: The data stems from the first wave of the Generations and Gender survey. The sample consists of childless respondents across 12 European countries between the ages of 18 to 45. I am calculating logistic regressions and aver-age marginal effects as well as the predicted probability of fertility intentions at different ages. Results: Partnership influences the intention to have at least one child positively but the effect varies considerably by age. After an increase of the positive effect up to a certain age threshold, the difference between singles and partnered people turns insignificant. Across countries and males and females, I find high variation in terms of the interaction between partnership and age. Educational level is found to be positively associated with fertility intentions. Conclusion: By in-cluding the predicted probabilities of fertility intentions at different ages, my results reveal a non-linear interaction between partnership and age that cannot adequately be modelled by logistic regressions and AMEs.

Item Type: Thesis (Master)
Degree programme: Population Studies
Supervisor: Rutigliano, R.
Date Deposited: 02 Sep 2020 07:05
Last Modified: 02 Sep 2020 07:05
URI: https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3353

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