Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0

Author-Name: Kamila Cygan-Rehm
Author-X-Name-First: Kamila 
Author-X-Name-Last: Cygan-Rehm

Author-Name: Miriam Maeder
Author-X-Name-First: Miriam
Author-X-Name-Last: Maeder

Title: The Effect of Education on Fertility: Evidence from a Compulsory Schooling Reform
	
Abstract: This study analyzes the effect of education on the number of children, childlessness, and the
timing of births. We use exogenous variation from a mandatory reform of compulsory schooling
in West Germany to deal with the endogeneity of schooling. In contrast to studies for other
developed countries, we find a significant negative effect of education on fertility. This negative
effect seems to operate mainly through a postponement of first births away from the teenage
years. In addition, education reduces the probability of first motherhood among women in their
early 30s. We attribute these findings to the particularly high opportunity costs of child-rearing
in Germany.

Length:  47 pages
Creation-Date:  2012-07
File-URL: http://www.bgpe.de/texte/DP/121_CyganRehmMaeder.pdf
File-Format: Application/pdf
File-Function: First version, 2012
Number: 121
Classification-JEL: I21, J13, J24
Keywords: fertility, education, timing of births, childlessness, educational reform
Handle: RePEc:bav:wpaper:121_CyganRehmMaeder