Migrants and Natives’ Childbearing Intentions in Sweden during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Eleonora Mussino , Stockholm University
Chiara Ludovica Comolli, University of Bologna

The Covid-19 pandemic was first and foremost a health emergency but it led to considerable social, financial and labour market losses. Individuals may have adjusted their behaviour to the costs of the pandemic, postponing irreversible commitments, such as having children. Yet, the pandemic consequences have not been equally shared. Studies have shown that migrants have suffered greater excess mortality and job and financial losses compared to natives. Migrants’ Total Fertility Rate in Sweden registered a drop in 2021 compared to previous years. Part of the decline could be related to a more negative subjective perception of risk, due to the severe health and economic impact of the pandemic on migrants. Using the Swedish Gender and Generation Survey 2012 and 2021 we investigate the role of worries about economic and health issues related to the global pandemic in shaping migrants versus natives’ short-term intentions to have a/another child.

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 Presented in Session 6. Migration Momentum: Mapping Multigenerational Mobility