Conference Agenda

Do parenthood desires among LGB people change as parenthood becomes more available and socially accepted across cohorts? This paper aims to provide a first answer to this question by using data from HILDA to study cohort and gender differences in parenthood desires and realised fertility among LGB people. The analytical sample includes 68187 person-years, 2997 of which are reported by LGB people. The results confirm findings from previous literature, indicating lower parenthood desires for LGB people compared to heterosexual people. We observe differences between LG and bisexual people, where the former group displays lower parenthood desire. The inclusion of cohorts in the analysis provides several novel findings: while parenthood desires increased across cohorts for LG women, the share of respondents indicating a desire for children slightly decreased across cohorts for LG men. Moreover, we observe a larger share of LG women that have children in the younger cohort, while the opposite is found for LG men. Results for bisexual individuals are more complex and present substantial cohort variation only for men. The unprecedented focus of this paper on cohort differences provides novel insights to the current demographic debate on parenthood aspirations and on the life courses of the LGBTQ+ population.

Italy has one of the lowest fertility rates in Europe, with the challenge of balancing work and family life frequently identified as a key structural barrier to demographic growth. In response, workplace family-related benefits, such as childcare support, are essential for improving this demographic context. This paper analyses the relationship between family-friendly workplace policies and fertility intentions among women and men, utilising data from the 2016 Italian Survey on Family and Social Subjects (FFS). We extend existing research by distinguishing between two types of workplace benefits: flexible working arrangements (e.g., for childcare) and other family-related benefits (e.g., childcare services). Our regression analysis indicates that access to flexible work arrangements is positively associated with women's and men's intentions to have children. However, we find no significant association between the provision of childcare services and the intention to have a child in the next three years. Notably, our findings reveal a significant interaction between family-friendly workplaces and the number of existing children. These findings suggest that fostering family-friendly workplaces can meaningfully influence fertility decisions, essential for addressing the fertility challenges in the Italian context.

During the Autumn and Winter of 2022-23, Austrian residents encountered high inflation, brought on by the confluence of the COVID-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine. This study delves into the impact of multiple crises on fertility plans utilizing data from the Austrian Generations and Gender Survey. The findings reveal that individuals with lower socioeconomic status, characterized by factors such as low educational attainment, non-German home language, and single parenthood, perceive inflation as a more substantial burden. Moreover, for both the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the ability to make ends meet emerges as the primary driver mediating the relationship between lower socioeconomic characteristics and the perceived burden. A perceived burden of inflation and financial strain correlates with definite changes to fertility plans due to the crisis. Notably, when individuals revise their fertility plans in response to crises it is predominately towards opting for fewer or no (additional) children.

This study examines how agreement or disagreement on short-term fertility intentions influences relationship progression or dissolution. Using 14 waves of data from the German Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics (pairfam), we analyze 2,801 couples over 8,219 couple-years. We apply multistate modeling and Cox proportional hazards models to evaluate transitions between dating, cohabitation, marriage, dissolution, and fertility.

Results indicate that couples where one or both partners desire a child are more likely to transition from dating to cohabitation and/or from cohabitation to marriage. Disagreement slows, but does not prevent, institutionalization. Fertility intentions also predict childbirth, particularly in cohabiting and married couples. Surprisingly, whether one or both partners want a child, rather than agreement alone, is the strongest predictor of relationship progression.

This study bridges the as of yet separate literatures on fertility intentions and relationship formation, providing new insights into how fertility goals influence early-stage relationships.

Europe experienced a shift towards smaller family sizes starting in the second half of the 20th century, with a brief stabilization in the 2000s, followed by a continued decline in the 2010s. Past research indicated several socio-economic and institutional factors behind this fertility decline. To date, however, no clear consensus has emerged regarding their relative importance. This study seeks to address this gap by employing an innovative approach—a factorial survey experiment. It uses a sample of 20-30-year-olds, exploring differences in fertility intentions between childless individuals and parents of one child. Our focus is on Poland where TFR hit the record low level of 1.15 in 2023. We examine the relative importance of the potentially most crucial drivers of fertility decline, such as job stability, housing availability, childcare access, fathers’ involvement in childcare, and worries about climate change. In addition, we incorporate one country-specific factor which is the tightening of the abortion law in case of a fetus defect. Our findings are expected to provide insights into broader European trends and the proposed method can be applied in other settings, potentially offering a deeper understanding of fertility decline in Europe.