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International migration, transfers of norms and home country fertility

Author

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  • Beine, Michel
  • Docquier, Frederic
  • Schiff, Maurice

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between international migration and source country fertility. The impact of international migration on source country fertility may have a number of causes, including a transfer of destination countries'fertility norms and an incentive to acquire more education. It provides provide a rigorous test of the diffusion on of fertility norms using original and detailed data on migration. The results provide evidence of a significant transfer of fertility norms from migrants to their country of origin: a one percent decrease in the fertility norm to which migrants are exposed reduces home country fertility by about 0.3 percent for origin countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Beine, Michel & Docquier, Frederic & Schiff, Maurice, 2009. "International migration, transfers of norms and home country fertility," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4925, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:4925
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Population Policies; Gender and Social Development; Reproductive Health; Human Migrations&Resettlements; Anthropology;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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