The Fertility Gap: An Economic Perspective

Globally speaking, the average woman will fall short of her desired number of children. Social scientists refer to this as the "fertility gap." What factors contribute to the fertility gap, especially when an increasing number of countries are experimenting with pro-natal policies? This talk will present current data on fertility rates and desires, discuss some economic theories of marriage and childbearing, and reflect upon how different policies and institutions can help close the fertility gap.