Why Are Women Delaying Motherhood in Germany?

German fertility trends show that the average age at which women have their first child has increased in recent decades. Moreover, researchers have argued that delayed maternity is an important factor in reduced fertility. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), this paper contribute...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Feminist economics 2009-10, Vol.15 (4), p.57-75
Main Author: Romeu Gordo, Laura
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Careers
Delay of motherhood
Discriminant analysis
Economic trends
Federal Republic of Germany
Fertility
fertility timing
Mothers
Pregnancy
Womens studies
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Summary:German fertility trends show that the average age at which women have their first child has increased in recent decades. Moreover, researchers have argued that delayed maternity is an important factor in reduced fertility. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), this paper contributes to the debate about maternity timing and reduced fertility in Germany by analyzing some of the factors determining the delay of motherhood. The results suggest that German women who have accumulated more years of education and longer work experience at the time of marriage delay motherhood more. On the other hand, women with higher labor income and a higher contribution to household income delay motherhood less. The results confirm that women consolidate their careers before motherhood in order to reduce career costs. Therefore, if fertility rates are to be increased in Germany further policies that aim to combine women's careers and motherhood need to be developed.
ISSN:1354-5701
1466-4372
DOI:10.1080/13545700903153955