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The New Economics of Fertility
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The New Economics of Fertility

Matthias Doepke, Anne Hannusch, Fabian Kindermann and Michèle Tertilt
IMF, 2022
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8

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Fertility rates decline – so the thinking once went – as incomes rise: Women who enter the workforce tend to have fewer children, as do families in wealthy countries. But the scenario today is different. This intriguing research study by economists Matthias Doepke, Anne Hannusch, Fabian Kindermann and Michèle Tertilt notes that fertility levels are increasing as gender roles converge, support programs proliferate and social taboos lessen. This demographic shift also carries important social policy implications for economic development around the world.

Take-Aways

  • After a century of decline, fertility rates in the developed world remain extremely low.
  • Recent fertility data show a reversal of historical patterns.
  • Present-day fertility economics presents policy makers with numerous challenges.

About the Authors

Matthias Doepke is a professor of economics at Northwestern University. Michele Tertilt is a professor of economics at the University of Mannheim, where Anne Hannusch is an assistant professor. Fabian Kindermann is a professor of economics at the University of Regensburg.

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