Inequality of opportunity and fertility intentions
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6045446 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Bianjing Ma (0009-0001-5307-5802, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics), Jiahao Wu (0000-0002-2417-8554, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics), Yu Yu (0000-0002-8421-6794, Guangdong University Of Finances and Economics, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 102-119 |
| Publication date | 2025-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | China Economic Quarterly International (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2666-9331 • E-ISSN: 2666-9331 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.ceqi.2025.05.003 |
| OpenAlex | W4411066942 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 50 |
Today's parents prioritize their children's future opportunities and well-being over the costs and benefits of child-rearing. Inequality of opportunity (IO) worsens children's developmental prospects and reduces fertility intentions. Using nationally representative data from China, we show that IO profoundly undermines parents' motivation to have children across social groups. Mechanism analyses show that residents of areas with high IO have less confidence in the future and postpone their first marriages and first children. Moreover, facing IO-induced depreciation of educational attainment, to avoid a decline in educational attainment or status, parents instead increase investment in children's education to improve their skills and quality, thereby suppressing fertility intentions. This study underscores that addressing IO is not merely a matter of equity but a demographic necessity. D63 J13 D31. • Our study is among the first to examine the effects of IO on fertility intentions. • We advance IO research by exploring its socioeconomic consequences. • Rising IO boosts educational investments, which represses fertility intentions
Demographic economics · Economics · Fertility · Inequality · Population · Sociology · Demography · Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics · Income, Poverty, and Inequality · Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies · Mathematics
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| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |