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. 2013;59(2):101-26.
doi: 10.1080/19485565.2013.833779.

Cross-national patterns of intergenerational continuities in childbearing in developed countries

Michael Murphy  1
Affiliations
Free PMC article

Cross-national patterns of intergenerational continuities in childbearing in developed countries

Michael Murphy. Biodemography Soc Biol. 2013.
Free PMC article

Abstract

Earlier work has shown that the association between the fertility of parents and the fertility of children has become stronger over time in some societies. This article updates and broadens the geographic coverage to assess the magnitude of intergenerational continuities in childbearing in developed and middle-income societies using data for 46 populations from 28 developed countries drawn from a number of recent large-scale survey programs. Robust positive intergenerational fertility correlations are found across these countries into the most recent period, and although there is no indication that the strength of the relationship is declining, the increasing trend does not appear to be continuing.

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Figures

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Figure 1. Correlation coefficients for number of respondents' siblings and children; respondents aged 40 and over.
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Figure 2. Relationship of national-level intergenerational correlation coefficients of respondents aged 40 and over with macro-level indicators.
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Figure 3.  Regression coefficient for number of siblings, unadjusted and adjusted for socioeconomic covariates; respondents aged 40 and over.
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