Short-term and Family Size Intentions and Fertility Outcomes in European Comparison

Zsolt Speder , Hungarian Demographic Research Institute, Budapest
Zsuzsanna Makay , Hungarian Demographic Research Institute

Our research aims to understand the role of short-term and family size intention in the fertility decision making process. Research on fertility intentions and realisation is abundant. We know a lot about individual determinants of realisation, but much less on country specific differences. The current research, employing a comparative approach, aims to reveal country level determinants, and country specific influences. Country level determinants are unrevealed by analysing realisation of short-term fertility intentions in 11 GGS countries. Considering family size intentions, a decade long change of fertile population is traced in Hungary and France, and a grouping based on family size intention and realization is carried out. More closely, a differentiation among achievers, under- and overachievers are defined, and possible factors predicting group memberships are considered.

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 Presented in Session 55. Fertilty Dynamics in a Comparative Perspective