Volume 31 - Article 6 | Pages 137–160  

Male fertility in Greece: Trends and differentials by education level and employment status

By Alexandra Tragaki, Christos Bagavos

Abstract

Background: More than downplayed, the role of men in the demographic analysis of reproduction has been entirely neglected. However, male fertility can be an important issue for exploring how economic and employment uncertainties relate to fertility and family dynamics.

Objective: This paper intends to study fertility variations over time, relying solely on data referring to father’s socio-demographic characteristics; in particular, their age, education level, and employment status.

Methods: We use a combination of Labor Force Survey and Demographic Statistics data on population and Vital Statistics on births to estimate male fertility indicators and fertility differentials by education level and employment status, for the period 1992-2011 in Greece. In addition, over-time developments in male TFR are separated into structural (education-specific and employment-specific distributions) and behavioral (fertility, per se) changes.

Results: We find that the male fertility level is declining, the fertility pattern is moving into higher ages, and the reproduction period for men is getting shorter. From 1992 up to 2008, changes in male fertility were mostly driven by behavioral rather than compositional factors. However, the decline of male fertility over the period of economic recession (2008-2011) is largely attributed to the continuous decrease in the proportions of employed men.

Conclusions: The study suggests that male fertility merits further exploration. In particular, years of economic downturn and countries where household living standards are mostly associated with male employment, a father’s employability is likely to emerge as an increasingly important factor of fertility outcomes.

Author's Affiliation

• Alexandra Tragaki - Harokopio University, Greece EMAIL
• Christos Bagavos - Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Greece EMAIL

Other articles by the same author/authors in Demographic Research

The compositional effects of education and employment on Greek male and female fertility rates during 2000‒2014
Volume 36 - Article 47

On the contribution of foreign-born populations to overall population change in Europe: Methodological insights and contemporary evidence for 31 European countries
Volume 46 - Article 7

On the multifaceted impact of migration on the fertility of receiving countries: Methodological insights and contemporary evidence for Europe, the United States, and Australia
Volume 41 - Article 1

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