Too Early or Not Soon Enough? Examining Timing of Parenthood among Migrant Descendants

José Luis Estévez , Population Research Institute, Väestöliitto
Anna Rotkirch, Väestöliitto

Recent research has challenged the notion that adaptation to the host society is the sole driver behind the fertility decline of migrant descendants. This study examines parenthood initiation in Finnish migrant descendants using administrative data. Findings reveal higher likelihood of parenthood during their teens and early to mid-twenties among migrants from high-fertility backgrounds arriving in Finland in youth. Conversely, mixed migrant-native background individuals display lower odds of parenthood compared to natives consistently across all age groups, with second-generation migrants presenting levels in between the previous two groups. Mediation analyses unveil that education for women and singlehood act as hindrances to parenthood for migrant descendants, regardless of region of origin and generation. We conclude that investments in social mobility, obstacles to emancipation, or disadvantages in the partnership market contribute to this fertility decline, alongside cultural assimilation, providing insights into the "depressed fertility" among migrant descendants observed in various European countries.

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 Presented in Session 101. Migrant Populations and Fertility