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Albania: Trends and patterns, proximate determinants and policies of fertility change

Author

Listed:
  • Arjan Gjonca

    (London School of Economics and Political Science)

  • Letizia Mencarini

    (Università Bocconi)

  • Arnstein Aassve

    (Università Bocconi)

Abstract

For a very long time, Albania has had one of the highest levels of fertility in Europe: in 2002 the total fertility rate of 2.2 children per woman was the highest in Europe. Although this current level is high, the country has experienced a rapid fertility reduction during the last 50 years: a TFR decline from 7 to 2.2. This reduction has occurred in the absence of modern contraception and abortion, which indicates the significance of investments in the social agenda during the communist regime that produced policies with indirect effects on fertility. Most significant of these were policies focused on education, in particular on female education. Social and demographic settings for a further fertility reduction in Albania have been present since 1990. Contraception and abortion have been legalized and available since the early 1990s, but knowledge of their use is still not widespread in the country, largely due to the interplay between traditional and modern norms of Albanian society. This chapter points out that future fertility levels will be determined not only by new policies that might be introduced, but predominantly by the balance of this interplay.

Suggested Citation

  • Arjan Gjonca & Letizia Mencarini & Arnstein Aassve, 2008. "Albania: Trends and patterns, proximate determinants and policies of fertility change," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 19(11), pages 261-292.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:19:y:2008:i:11
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2008.19.11
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jonas Wood & Tine Kil & Karel Neels, 2014. "The educational gradient of childlessness and cohort parity progression in 14 low fertility countries," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 31(46), pages 1365-1416.
    2. Lucia MANGIAVACCHI & Federico PERALI & Luca Piccoli, 2018. "Intrahousehold Distribution in Migrant-Sending Families," JODE - Journal of Demographic Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 84(1), pages 107-148, March.
    3. Thaís García-Pereiro & Ana Paterno, 2024. "Comparison of short-term fertility intentions of albanian women in Italy with non-migrants in Albania and italian women," Statistical Methods & Applications, Springer;Società Italiana di Statistica, vol. 33(3), pages 999-1024, July.
    4. Gianna Claudia Giannelli & Lucia Mangiavacchi, 2010. "Children's Schooling and Parental Migration: Empirical Evidence on the ‘Left‐behind’ Generation in Albania," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 24(s1), pages 76-92, December.
    5. Martin Lakomý, 2017. "The role of values and of socioeconomic status in the education-fertility link among men and women," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 15(1), pages 121-141.
    6. Iva Trako, 2018. "Fertility and Parental Labor-Force Participation: New Evidence from a Developing Country in the Balkans," Working Papers halshs-01828471, HAL.
    7. Gianni Betti & Lucia Mangiavacchi & Luca Piccoli, 2017. "Individual poverty measurement using a fuzzy intrahousehold approach," Department of Economics University of Siena 747, Department of Economics, University of Siena.
    8. Lucia Mangiavacchi & Luca Piccoli, 2022. "Gender Inequalities Among Adults and Children: Exposure to Migration and the Evolution of Social Norms in Albania," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 43(3), pages 546-564, September.
    9. Tha�s Garc�a-Pereiro & Ivano Dileo, 2017. "Tracking The Factors That Influence Female Employment: The Albanian Case," RIEDS - Rivista Italiana di Economia, Demografia e Statistica - The Italian Journal of Economic, Demographic and Statistical Studies, SIEDS Societa' Italiana di Economia Demografia e Statistica, vol. 71(3), pages 41-50, July-Sept.
    10. Mathias Lerch, 2014. "The Role of Migration in the Urban Transition: A Demonstration From Albania," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 51(4), pages 1527-1550, August.
    11. Maria Carmela Miccoli & Antonella Biscione, 2016. "Economic Growth, Spatial Redistribution Of Population And Poverty In Albania," RIEDS - Rivista Italiana di Economia, Demografia e Statistica - The Italian Journal of Economic, Demographic and Statistical Studies, SIEDS Societa' Italiana di Economia Demografia e Statistica, vol. 70(3), pages 89-100, July-Sept.
    12. Iva Trako, 2016. "Fertility and Parental Labor-Force Participation: New Evidence from a Developing Country in the Balkans," Working Papers halshs-01361443, HAL.
    13. Lantona Sado & Federico Benassi & Alma Spaho, 2018. "How the Early Childhood Well-Being Lies within the Family Context in Albania," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 11(4), pages 1301-1319, August.
    14. Tomáš Sobotka & Laurent Toulemon, 2008. "Overview Chapter 4: Changing family and partnership behaviour," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 19(6), pages 85-138.
    15. Grogan, Louise, 2018. "Strategic Fertility Behaviour, Early Childhood Human Capital Investments and Gender Roles in Albania," IZA Discussion Papers 11937, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    16. Iva Trako, 2018. "Fertility and Parental Labor-Force Participation: New Evidence from a Developing Country in the Balkans," PSE Working Papers halshs-01828471, HAL.
    17. Mathias Lerch, 2013. "Patriarchy and fertility in Albania," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 29(6), pages 133-166.
    18. Lucia Mangiavacchi & Luca Piccoli, 2009. "Child welfare and intra-household inequality in Albania," Working Papers 149, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    19. Arjan Gjonça & Arnstein Aassve & Letizia Mencarini, 2009. "The highest fertility in Europe-For how long? Determinants of fertility change in Albania," Demográfia English Edition, Hungarian Demographic Research Institute, vol. 52(5), pages 76-96.
    20. Cornelia Muresan & Jan M. Hoem, 2010. "The negative educational gradients in Romanian fertility," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 22(4), pages 95-114.
    21. Gianni Betti & Lucia Mangiavacchi & Luca Piccoli, 2020. "Women and poverty: insights from individual consumption in Albania," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 69-91, March.
    22. Orsola Torrisi, 2020. "Armed Conflict and the Timing of Childbearing in Azerbaijan," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 46(3), pages 501-556, September.
    23. Cornelia Mureşan & Jan M. Hoem, 2009. "The negative educational gradients in Romanian fertility," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2009-019, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    fertility; childbearing; Europe; fertility change; Albania;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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