Fertility and family
Family life is a topic that affects everyone: everyone is born, most of us have children, nearly everyone is in a relationship, and many of us are in multiple relationships across our lives. At CPC, we study factors that influence these decisions. For example, how does education and income impact upon the age at which women have children? Does job loss and economic uncertainty change people's decisions about having kids? How does austerity and government policy about welfare benefits and public housing influence how many children people have? And why do migrants have a different number of children compared to non-migrants?
We also look at how families and relationships in the UK differ from those in other countries. Our research has examined the rise of people living together without being married. We study how women are now becoming the main earner in more and more families across Europe. Our research is important for understanding how families are changing in the UK and around the world.
This research is co-ordinated by Professor Ann Berrington.
Current Projects
- Understanding Recent Fertility Trends in the UK and Improving Methodologies for Fertility Forecasting Project contributors: Kulu H, Berrington A, Bijak J, Dodd E, Falkingham J, Kuang B, Ellison J, Christison S,
- Dissolution of mixed ethnic unions in Britain Project contributors: Kulu H, Finney N, Mikolai J, Keenan K, Graham E,
- Residential mobility, housing and childbearing in Britain Project contributors: Kulu H, Graham E,
- Partnership, fertility, housing, and labour market transitions across the life course Project contributors: Perelli-Harris B, Berrington A, Chao S,
- Relationship quality and family transitions: The UK in international comparison Project contributors: Blom N, Perelli-Harris B,
- PartnerLife Project Project contributors: Kulu H, Mikolai J, Mulder C, Wagner M, Krapf S, Thomas M,
Completed Projects
- Social policies to support women's employment and achieve gender-friendly workplaces Project contributors: Kowalewska H, Vitali A,
- Uncertainty in fertility intentions in Britain, 1979-2007 Project contributors: Ní-Bhrolcháin M, Beaujouan E,
- Twenty+ Futures: Recession, global threats and young people's anticipated futures as partners and parents Project contributors: Jamieson L, Rawlins E, Cunningham-Burley S,
- The economics of fertility: Fertility booms and propagation of the post-war marriage squeeze Project contributors: Knowles J, Vandenbroucke G,
- The development of an improved data resource on fertility and partnership Project contributors: Berrington A, Ní-Bhrolcháin M, Beaujouan E,
- Measuring and accounting for fertility trends Project contributors: Ní-Bhrolcháin M, Beaujouan E,
- Local cultures of fertility Project contributors: Graham E, Feng Z, Fiori F, Boyle P,
- Fertility and the distribution of income and wealth Project contributors: Schoonbroodt A, Mateos-Planas X,
- Factors facilitating fertility recuperation Project contributors: Berrington A, Pattaro S,
- Do marital prospects dissuade unmarried fertility Project contributors: Knowles J,
- The consequences of new living arrangements in cross-national comparison Project contributors: Perelli-Harris B, Hoherz S, Styrc M,
- Partnerships and sexual behaviour in the era of ART in South Africa Project contributors: McGrath N,
- Non-marital childbearing project Project contributors: Perelli-Harris B, Styrc M, Sanchez-Gassen N, Amos M,
- Household and family demography in the Global South Project contributors: Hosegood V,
- Female-Breadwinner Families in Europe Project contributors: Vitali A,
- Fertility in the context of economic recession and international migration: a comparative study of Italy, Spain and the UK Project contributors: Graham E, Feng Z, Jamieson L, MacInnes J, Fiori F, Sabater A, Lebano A,
- Fertility dynamics in the context of economic recession Project contributors: Berrington A, Stone J,
- Family dynamics and inequality Project contributors: Berrington A, Stone J,