Open AccessFertility Differentials and Educational Attainment in Portugal: A Non-Linear Relationship
Author(s) -
Isabel Tiago de Oliveira
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
canadian studies in population
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.157
H-Index - 8
eISSN - 1927-629X
pISSN - 0380-1489
DOI - 10.25336/p6004h
Subject(s) - fertility , educational attainment , portuguese , context (archaeology) , salary , demographic economics , demography , total fertility rate , economics , population , geography , sociology , research methodology , economic growth , family planning , market economy , linguistics , philosophy , archaeology
This analysis of the Portuguese case shows a non-linear relationship betweenthe number of children and education in recent years. Using the data from tenyears before this hypothesis was confirmed, and we can see that the generaldecline in Portuguese fertility within the last decade was due to the fertilitydecrease of the less educated people, although partly attenuated by the fertility increase of the upper social groups. The reasons for a non-linear relationship are discussed within the context of female employment rates and salary differentials by educational attainment. The main hypothesis is that differences in fertility are related to an ‘education-work’ effect amongst those in the less educated groups and to an ‘education-income’ effect amongst the more educated.