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The Fertility Transition in the US: Schooling or Income?

Author

Listed:
  • Casper Worm Hansen

    (Department of Economics and Business, Aarhus University, Denmark)

  • Peter Sandholt Jensen

    (University of Southern Denmark)

  • Lars Lønstrup

    (University of Southern Denmark)

Abstract

Schooling. This study estimates the respective contributions of schooling and income in determining the fertility transition within the US states between 1840 and 1980. While evidence suggests that both relationships are negative and statistically signi?cant, the most robust determinant of the transition is the development of human capital as measured by years of schooling. This empirical fact corroborates the use of the quantity-quality trade-off mechanism in theoretical models to generate the transition from economic stagnation to growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Casper Worm Hansen & Peter Sandholt Jensen & Lars Lønstrup, 2014. "The Fertility Transition in the US: Schooling or Income?," Economics Working Papers 2014-02, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    • Handle: RePEc:aah:aarhec:2014-02
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Philipp Ager & Casper Worm Hansen & Peter Sandholt Jensen, 2018. "Fertility and Early-Life Mortality: Evidence from Smallpox Vaccination in Sweden," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 16(2), pages 487-521.
    2. Anthony Mveyange, 2015. "On the fertility transition in Africa: Income, child mortality, or education?," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2015-089, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. Grimm, Michael, 2016. "Rainfall Risk and Fertility: Evidence from Farm Settlements during the American Demographic Transition," IZA Discussion Papers 10351, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Michael Grimm, 2021. "Rainfall risk, fertility and development: evidence from farm settlements during the American demographic transition," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 21(4), pages 593-618.
    5. Anthony Mveyange, 2015. "On the fertility transition in Africa: Income, child mortality, or education?," WIDER Working Paper Series 089, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fertility transition; Schooling; Income; Q-Q trade-off US states;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • N3 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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