Projects
Fertility dynamics in the context of economic recession
Project contributors: Berrington A, Stone J,
This Project is part of the following research programme/s:
Overview
Many commentators assumed that fertility rates would fall in the context of the economic downturn following 2008. However, in the UK period fertility rates continued to increase (at least up until 2012) as they had done since 2000 and currently the UK has one of the highest levels of fertility within Europe. Although this persistent higher level of fertility is sometimes associated with recent high levels of net international migration to the UK, rates of childbearing among UK born women also increased during this period.
Objectives
This work examines the individual, family and macro-level factors driving childbearing trends in the UK.
We address four main areas of research:
Understanding Educational gradients in the timing and level of childbearing
How does women's education influence whether they have children or not, how old they are when they have their first child and how many children they go on to have? How has this changed over time for mothers born between 1940 and 1969?
Economic uncertainty and progression to first and second birth
How are objective and subjective measures of economic uncertainty associated with progression to first and second birth? How do these effects differ by gender and level of education, and how they may be moderated by the broader neighbourhood context?
Fertility patterns of recent UK immigrants
What are the relationships between the migration event and the timing of childbearing among recent arrivals to the UK?
Income, welfare, housing and progression to higher order births
What have been the trends in progression to higher order births in the UK? How are income, benefit receipt and housing situation associated with progression to higher order births? Istheassociaton different for unpartnered and partnered women?
Methods
This research makes use of three sources of life history data: the CPC GHS time series dataset; Understanding Society and the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study. Methods include demographic standardization, event history analyses and multilevel modelling of contextual data.
Publications & Activities
Individual Housing Circumstances, Local Housing Markets, and Progression to Higher Order Births in the UK
PAA Annual Conference (2018). (Sheraton Denver Downtown)
Authors: Stone J, Berrington A,
Income, Welfare, Housing and the Transition to Higher Order Births in the UK
Understanding Society 2017 (2017). (University of Essex)
Authors: Berrington A,
Choosing to remain childless? A comparative study of fertility intentions among women and men in Italy and Britain
European Journal of Population (2017). 33 (3) 319-350
Authors: Fiori F, Rinesi F, Graham E,
Income, welfare, housing and the transition to higher order births in the UK
International Research and Policy Symposium on Family Changes and Housing Transitions in the Life Course (2017). (University of St Andrews)
Authors: Berrington A,
The fertility of recent migrants to England and Wales
Demographic Research (2016). 34 (36) 1037-1052
Authors: Robards J, Berrington A,
Income, welfare and the transition to third birth in the UK
2016 BSPS Conference (2016). (University of Winchester)
Authors: Stone J, Berrington A,
Household income, educational homogamy and transition to third and fourth birth
EPC 2016 (2016). (Mainz, Germany)
Authors: Stone J, Berrington A,
Squeezing childbearing into the life course? Childbearing following postponement to later ages in Britain
BSPS Conference 2015 (2015). (University of Leeds)
Authors: Berrington A, Stone J, Beaujouan E,
Educational differences in timing and quantum of childbearing in Britain: A study of cohorts born 1940-1969
Demographic Research (2015). 33 (26) 733-764
Authors: Berrington A, Stone J, Beaujouan E,
Does perceived income adequacy matter for family formation? The role of subjective economic uncertainty for the transition to first and second births in the UK.
SLLS 2015 Conference "Life Courses in Cross-National Comparison: Similarities and Differences" (2015). (Dublin, Ireland)
Authors: Stone J, Berrington A,
What Are the Consequences of Fertility Postponement for Women's Completed Family Size?
Population Association of America Annual Meeting 2015 (2015). (San Diego)
Authors: Stone J, Berrington A, Beaujouan E,
Perceived income adequacy, the transition to parenthood and parity progression in the UK
Understanding Society Scientific Conference 2015 (2015). (University of Essex)
Authors: Berrington A, Stone J,
Financial Stress, Economic Uncertainty and Transitions to First and Second Birth
Population Association of America Annual Meeting 2015 (2015). (San Diego)
Authors: Stone J, Berrington A,
Did I forget to have children?' Understanding the Postponement of Childbearing and Childlessness from a Life Course Perspective.
BSA Conference 2015: Societies in Transition: Progression or Regression? (2015). (Glasgow Caledonian University)
Authors: Berrington A,
Does perceived income adequacy matter for family formation? The role of subjective economic uncertainty for the transition to first and second births in the UK.
BSA Conference 2015: Societies in Transition: Progression or Regression? (2015). (Glasgow Caledonian University)
Authors: Stone J, Berrington A,
Did I forget to have children? Understanding the postponement of childbearing and childlessness from a Life Course Perspective
CLS Cohort Studies Research Conference 2015 (2015). (Institute of Education, University of London)
Authors: Berrington A,
Childlessness in the UK
CPC (2015). Series Number: 69.
Authors: Berrington A,
The fertility of recent migrants to England and Wales: interrelationships between migration and birth timing
CPC (2015). Series Number: 65.
Authors: Robards J, Berrington A,
Educational differences in childbearing widen in Britain
CPC (2015). Series Number: 29.
Authors: Berrington A, Stone J, Beaujouan E,
Media
'It's not just ignorance that stops us having babies. It's also poor relationships The Guardian. 2022
Sonia Sodha's article in The Guardian, 11 December 2022, 'It's not just ignorance that stops us having babies. It's also poor relationships' refers to CPC Policy Briefing 29 'Educational differences in childbearing widen in Britain' and CPC Working Paper 69 'Childlessness in the UK'.
The rise of childlessness The Economist. 2017
Ann Berrington's research published in the book chapter Childlessness in the UK is quoted in this article.
28pc of babies have a foreign-born mother The Daily Telegraph. 2017
Printed newspaper article titled 28pc of babies have a foreign-born mother, published by The Daily Telegraph, quotes Ann Berrington.
Now 28 per cent of babies are born to foreign mothers
Printed newspaper article titled Now 28 per cent of babies are born to foreign mothers, published by the Daily Mail, quotes Ann Berrington.
Nearly one in three births are to foreign-born mothers as rate hits record high The Telegraph. 2017
Online news article titled Nearly one in three births are to foreign-born mothers as rate hits record high, posted by The Telegraph, quotes Ann Berrington.
What is a happy family? Whether men support equality at home can determine the future NewSphere. 2017
Online news article titled What is a happy family? Whether men support equality at home can determine the future, posted by NewSphere, mentions Ann Berrington.
One in eight women have trouble getting pregnant Times of Malta. 2016
Ann Berrington is quoted in an article on the Times of Malta website titled "One in eight women have trouble getting pregnant."
One in eight women experience infertility Reuters. 2016
Ann Berrington is quoted in the article on uk.reuters.com titled "One in eight women experience infertility."
Population and Policy Bites Population europe website. 2016
Blog on the Population Europe website "Popuation and Policy Bites" section titled "Childlessness: What's Old, What's New, What's Innovative" quotes Ann Berrington's research
The generation who may never be grandparents The Telegraph. 2016
Online article on The Telegraph online, "The generation who may never be grandparents"
Will more free childcare fuel baby boom? BBC News website. 2015
Article on BBC News, "Will more free childcare fuel baby boom?"
Women with qualifications have fewer children - and have them later in life; says University of Manchester research Manchester Evening News. 2015
Article in Manchester Evening News, "Women with qualifications have fewer children - and have them later in life, says University of Manchester research".
English gynaecologist warns of "fertility time bomb" MercatorNet website. 2015
Article on MercatorNet titled, "English gynaecologist warns of "fertility time bomb"
I want my daughter to know that she can never 'have it all' The Telegraph. 2015
Article in the Telegraph, "I want my daughter to know that she can never 'have it all'"
Degrees of sacrifice: clever women have fewer children The Sunday Times. 2015
Article in Sunday Times, "Degrees of sacrifice: clever women have fewer children"
The proportion of births outside marriage has at last stopped rising The Economist. 2015
Article on economist.com website titled "The proportion of births outside marriage has at last stopped rising" quotes Ann Berrington,
Understanding the long term impacts of the recession (and recovery) Natcen website. 2014
Article on www.natcen.ac.uk titled "Understanding the long term impacts of the recession (and recovery)" mentions Ann Berrington
