The Birth Order Effect: A Modern Phenomenon?

28 Pages Posted: 15 Sep 2023

See all articles by Ana Nuevo‐Chiquero

Ana Nuevo‐Chiquero

University of Edinburgh

Marian Vidal-Fernandez

IZA - Institute for the Study of Labor; The University of Sydney - School of Economics

Jee-Yeon Lehmann

University of Houston

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Abstract

We provide a historical perspective on the birth order effect by examining differences in adult occupational rank among brothers in 19th and early 20th century Netherlands. Using a rich historical dataset compiling administrative birth and marriage registry records linking family members, we further analyze the role of family composition and socio-economic status in modulating the birth order effect. While consistent with findings in modern developed countries, we find that later-born males hold lower-ranked occupations than their older male siblings, we also find that consistent with modern evidence from emerging economies like India and China, this negative birth order effect is primarily driven by differences between the first- and the last-born and their siblings, and by the number of brothers in the family. Birth order differences – particularly the first-born advantage – are larger among socio-economically advantaged families and in more urbanised areas, while the opposite is true for the last-born effect. Surprisingly, the first-born advantage or son-preference is not driven by inheritance rules or transmission of occupations to children born earlier in the family. Taken together, our findings suggest that birth order effects and quantity-quality tradeoffs in families, are not merely modern phenomena but have been a source of context-dependent intrahousehold inequality throughout the centuries.

Keywords: birth order, first-born, the Netherlands, historical data

JEL Classification: J01, N14

Suggested Citation

Nuevo‐Chiquero, Ana and Vidal-Fernandez, Marian and Vidal-Fernandez, Marian and Lehmann, Jee-Yeon, The Birth Order Effect: A Modern Phenomenon?. IZA Discussion Paper No. 16450, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4572658 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4572658

Ana Nuevo‐Chiquero (Contact Author)

University of Edinburgh ( email )

Old College
South Bridge
Edinburgh, EH8 9JY
United Kingdom

Marian Vidal-Fernandez

IZA - Institute for the Study of Labor ( email )

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

The University of Sydney - School of Economics ( email )

Rm 370 Merewether (H04)
The University of Sydney
Sydney, NSW 2006 2008
Australia

Jee-Yeon Lehmann

University of Houston ( email )

4800 Calhoun Road
Houston, TX 77204
United States

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