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Negligible Effect of Free Contraception on Fertility: Experimental Evidence from Burkina Faso

Author

Listed:
  • Pascaline Dupas

    (Princeton University)

  • Seema Jayachandran

    (Princeton University)

  • Adriana Lleras-Muney

    (UCLA)

  • Pauline Rossi

    (Ecole Polytechnique)

Abstract

We conducted a randomized trial among 14,545 households in rural Burkina Faso to test the oft-cited hypothesis that limited access to contraception is an important driver of high fertility rates in West Africa. We do not find support for this hypothesis. Women who were given free access to medical contraception for three years did not have lower birth rates; we can reject even modest effects. We cross-randomized additional interventions to address possible inefficiencies leading to low demand for free contraception, specifically misperceptions about the child mortality rate, limited exposure to opposing views about family size and contraception, and social pressure. Free contraception did not influence fertility even in combination with these other interventions.

Suggested Citation

  • Pascaline Dupas & Seema Jayachandran & Adriana Lleras-Muney & Pauline Rossi, 2024. "Negligible Effect of Free Contraception on Fertility: Experimental Evidence from Burkina Faso," Working Papers 327, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Center for Economic Policy Studies..
    • Handle: RePEc:pri:cepsud:327
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Burkina Faso; Family planning; Demographic transition; Social norms; Randomized trial;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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