Fertility trends by birth order in Britain: comparison between England and Wales, and Scotland
Fertility trends by birth order in Britain: comparison between England and Wales, and Scotland
This study uses census-linked administrative data to investigate childbearing trends by birth order in Britain over three decades. This is the first study to investigate longer-term changes in fertility dynamics in Britain by birth order and compare parity-specific fertility by country. First-birth rates declined in the 1990s, slightly increased in the first decade of this century and thereafter decreased. Changes in timing of parenthood are responsible for the changes in first-birth rates. Second- and third-birth rates declined in the 1990s, but remained relatively stable in the first decades of this century. Birth intervals have remained unchanged - changes in quantum are responsible for trends in higher-order-birth rates. Trends over time are similar in England and Wales and Scotland, but with significantly lower second- and third-birth rates in Scotland. Changes in population composition by education and ethnicity explain little of the aggregate fertility trends, or differences between Scotland and England. Both countries have seen very rapid declines in first birth rates, especially among low educated women.
fertility, childbearing, educational differences
Kulu, Hill
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Kuang, Bernice
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Christison, Sarah
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Berrington, Ann
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Kulu, Hill
439546b3-673f-43b9-af83-ca81b7e65e51
Kuang, Bernice
0d9a40c9-11d3-463e-8b1a-ce0c9880485d
Christison, Sarah
be67f642-5089-4548-a44a-c0fd3a8fd8e7
Berrington, Ann
bd0fc093-310d-4236-8126-ca0c7eb9ddde
Kulu, Hill, Kuang, Bernice, Christison, Sarah and Berrington, Ann
(2024)
Fertility trends by birth order in Britain: comparison between England and Wales, and Scotland.
Population Studies.
(In Press)
Abstract
This study uses census-linked administrative data to investigate childbearing trends by birth order in Britain over three decades. This is the first study to investigate longer-term changes in fertility dynamics in Britain by birth order and compare parity-specific fertility by country. First-birth rates declined in the 1990s, slightly increased in the first decade of this century and thereafter decreased. Changes in timing of parenthood are responsible for the changes in first-birth rates. Second- and third-birth rates declined in the 1990s, but remained relatively stable in the first decades of this century. Birth intervals have remained unchanged - changes in quantum are responsible for trends in higher-order-birth rates. Trends over time are similar in England and Wales and Scotland, but with significantly lower second- and third-birth rates in Scotland. Changes in population composition by education and ethnicity explain little of the aggregate fertility trends, or differences between Scotland and England. Both countries have seen very rapid declines in first birth rates, especially among low educated women.
Text
Manuscript_Fertility_Parity_UK_With_Author_Details_
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 11 December 2024
Keywords:
fertility, childbearing, educational differences
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 497228
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/497228
ISSN: 0032-4728
PURE UUID: 1dc56c61-437f-4859-a764-3949d5aaf044
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Date deposited: 16 Jan 2025 17:33
Last modified: 16 Feb 2025 05:01
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Contributors
Author:
Hill Kulu
Author:
Bernice Kuang
Author:
Sarah Christison
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