Economics

Deep-rooted determinants of the fertility transition across countries

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This paper documents a positive correlation between the genetic distance to the world technological frontier (United Kingdom, United States) and the year of the onset of the fertility transition across countries. This result is robust to controlling for a large set of geographical, climatic, historical, and institutional variables. Two main mechanisms could explain this reduced-form relationship. First, genetic distance to the world technological frontier can affect the onset of the fertility transition through its impact on the timing and intensity of technology adoption. Second, genetic distance to the technological frontier can capture other cultural differences and the process of diffusion of cultural norms that are related to fertility but not through technology adoption. We find suggestive evidence supporting both mechanisms.

Publication Title

Macroeconomic Dynamics

Publication Date

10-2017

Volume

21

Issue

7

First Page

1712

Last Page

1751

ISSN

1365-1005

DOI

10.1017/S1365100515001042

Keywords

culture, fertility transition, genetic distance, technology adoption

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