Educational Differentials in Women’s Fertility: The Moderating Role of Learning

Shuang Chen , London School of Economics and Political Science

Although demographers have long studied the educational differentials in women’s fertility, most focus on years of schooling or levels of educational attainment. Recent research has revealed an acute gap between schooling and learning in low- and middle-income countries. However, it remains unclear whether it has any consequences for demographic outcomes such as fertility. Does the relationship between education and fertility depend on learning? Is more schooling without learning still associated with lower fertility? We draw on comparable, cross-sectional data from 31 low- and middle-income countries collected by the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) to examine whether and how learning moderates the relationship between levels of schooling and women’s fertility. By conceptually and empirically distinguishing schooling from learning, this study contributes to the explanation of educational differentials in fertility and a more nuanced understanding of the role of education in shaping women’s fertility behaviors and outcomes in low- and middle-income countries.

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 Presented in Session 38. Fertility and Education