Fertility Pathways in Australia: Relationships, Opportunities, Work and Parenting

Abstract

This preliminary study of declining fertility rates, based on the first wave of data from HILDA, highlights important links between fertility, relationships and work opportunities for both men and women. This paper indicates that, overall, expectations of having children appear to be in decline for both men and women. However, individual fertility expectations and outcomes vary and the data indicate that the pathways to low fertility are different for men and women. Among women, higher education, income and occupation status is associated with lower fertility, while among men the reverse seems to be true. Although the associations are not as clear or strong as they are among women, among younger men, lower education and employment opportunities are more likely to be linked to lower fertility expectations. In addition, younger men overall tend to expect to have fewer children than younger women and are more likely to expect to remain childless. These findings highlight the neglected role of men in understanding fertility decline. They also raise questions about the impact of individual and household income, as well as labour market changes on fertility expectations.