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Does Having Children Bring Life Satisfaction in Europe?

Author

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  • Zeynep B. Ugur

    (Social Sciences University of Ankara)

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of having children on parents’ life satisfaction and happiness in Europe. We utilize four waves of the European Values Survey (EVS) from 1981 to 2008. To identify causality, we use instrumental variables estimation. We exploit time and country level variation in five family policies as instruments for having children. For parents who have had children due to the generosity of family policies, having children increases parent’s life satisfaction by 0.33–0.41 points on a 10 point scale. This effect is significantly more pronounced when parents are over the age of 50. Yet, children’s effects on life satisfaction and happiness is negative for single and full-time working parents. The positive effect of having children on life satisfaction and happiness has substantially eroded over the EVS waves which explains the reductions in the fertility rate in Europe.

Suggested Citation

  • Zeynep B. Ugur, 2020. "Does Having Children Bring Life Satisfaction in Europe?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 1385-1406, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:21:y:2020:i:4:d:10.1007_s10902-019-00135-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-019-00135-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Jac Thomas & Francisco Rowe & Paul Williamson & Eric S. Lin, 2022. "The effect of leave policies on increasing fertility: a systematic review," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-16, December.
    2. Giulia M. Dotti Sani, 2022. "The Intrinsic Value of Childcare: Positive Returns of Childcare Time on Parents’ Well-Being and Life Satisfaction in Italy," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 1901-1921, June.
    3. Kazuma Sato, 2022. "Who is Happier in Japan, a Housewife or Working Wife?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 509-533, February.
    4. Chinglen Laishram & Khaikholen Haokip, 2023. "Implications of Social Capital on Life satisfaction in a Stratified Society: Gendering the Bonding, Bridging, and Linking framework using representative samples of India," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(4), pages 3039-3063, August.
    5. Inês Mendonça & Franz Coelho & Paulo Ferrajão & Ana Maria Abreu, 2022. "Telework and Mental Health during COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-23, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fertility; Subjective well-being; Family policies;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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