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Does Culture Affect Fertility in Europe?

Author

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  • Anna E. Shaleva

    (American University in Bulgaria)

Abstract

Economic factors are rather an obvious determinant of fertility, as also suggested by "Beckerian" theory. However, culture is less tangible and less direct factor for fertility. In this paper, the main question is whether culture, as suggested by "Synthesis" among other theories, is a determinant of fertility in culturally diverse Europe. Using panel-data for 26 EU countries on 8 years (2000-2008), I estimate fixed effect models that provide quantitative evidence for the fi nding that along with diverse economic conditions across Europe, culture also stays behind country level fertility rate determination.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna E. Shaleva, 2019. "Does Culture Affect Fertility in Europe?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 39(3), pages 2078-2090.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-19-00179
    as

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    File URL: http://www.accessecon.com/Pubs/EB/2019/Volume39/EB-19-V39-I3-P193.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    fertility; culture; panel data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics

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