State-of-the-art report childlessness in Europe

Working paper

In the last decades, European societies have experienced changes in the postponement of the age of having a first child, shrinking family size, and increased (in)voluntary childlessness. This report provides a review of the state-of-the-art research in relation to one of the central research goals of Working Package 4: to examine the rise, determinants and societal consequences of childlessness by different perspectives. The report provides an overview of the central macro-level determinants of childlessness among women and men firstly from a quantitative perspective examining trends, relevant determinants and measures. We will then outline the central micro-level determinants of childlessness among women, men and couples by examining core characteristics of childless individuals such as higher education or marital disruption. We then turn to an overview of anthropological and qualitative examinations of the determinants of childlessness and the psychological, social and socio-political consequences of childlessness. A reflection on potential data sources to study childlessness and a discussion on research gaps are offered in the concluding chapters.

Authors: Mills, M; Tanturri, M; Rotkirch, A; Sobotka, T; Takacs, J

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Reviewed (other)
• Publisher: FamiliesAndSocieties
• Host title: FamiliesAndSocieties Working Paper
• Volume: 2015
• Issue: 32
• Series: FamiliesAndSocieties Working Paper
• Publication date: 2015-03-03
• Paper number: 2015
• Keywords: SBTMR