Childbearing after separation: do second unions make up for earlier missing births? Evidence from France

Beaujouan, Eva and Solaz, Anne (2008) Childbearing after separation: do second unions make up for earlier missing births? Evidence from France (Document de travail, 155) Paris, France. Institut national d’études démographiques 28pp.

Abstract

Today, the childbearing process is no longer completed in one unique
union but has to be analysed in terms of a succession of family steps since more and
more people experience several partnerships in their life. This article aims to study
fertility behaviour after the first union in terms of total fertility and also the timing of this
fertility, by taking into account the fact that individuals in second unions may be racing
against the biological clock since they form their union later. Using a French “onepercent”
survey of Family History in 1999, results show that completed fertility in case of
separation is generally reduced by 0.1 children for men and 0.15 for women. However, in
the event of repartnering, men’s fertility makes up for fertility of never separated men.
Growing sterility with age affects step-fertility especially for women. The acceleration of
the birth process for second unions in the hypothetical scenario of absence of sterility
may be a proof of the couple's anticipation of fecundability decline with age

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