Social Class, Income, and the Timing of Childbearing: Sweden 1920-2010

Martin Dribe, Lund University
Christopher Smith, Lund University

The aim of this paper is to study socioeconomic differences in the timing of childbearing from the end of the first demographic transition to present times. We use longitudinal micro-level data on birth histories, occupation and income for individuals and couples in a regional sample in Sweden, 1920-2010. Using discrete-time event-history models we estimate the association between social class/income and parity-specific duration to next birth. Preliminary results indicate pronounced changes in the class and income differentials in the timing of births. For second births a more or less perfect gradient evolves over time with the highest classes (richest) having the shortest duration (highest fertility), and the lower classes (poorest) the longest (lowest fertility). For durations to higher-order births, a J-shaped pattern emerges for income, with the richest and poorest having the shortest durations, and the medium-income groups having the longest. The pattern for class are similar, but not as accentuated.

See extended abstract

 Presented in Session 5. EAP and beyond