Backslanted 'X' Fertility Dynamics and Macroeconomics

Abstract

A large number of pairs of countries exhibit a dynamic pattern in which: (i) Fertility in both countries declines across time; (ii) Initially one country has higher fertility and lower per-capita income compared to the other; (iii) In time, as per-capita income converges, fertility rates in the poorer country become lower than in the richer one.

This paper provides statistics on the prevalence of such dynamics and a theoretical model in which these dynamics emerge endogenously. Assuming that countries differ in the degree of utility substitution between consumption and rearing children is sufficient to generate all three components of these dynamics.

JEL Classification: J11, J13, O40