JOURNAL ARTICLE

The differential effects of childbearing on household economic decisions: The contrast between the first and second child.

  • Published In: Asian Economic Journal, 2025, v. 39, n. 1. P. 23 1 of 3

  • Database: Business Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Chen, Nana; Min, Yi; Xu, Hangtian; Chen, Shuhan 3 of 3

Abstract

China progressively relaxed its one‐child policy since 2013, allowing families to legally have a second child. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies and applying a difference‐in‐differences event‐study approach, we find that the family size outcomes are nonlinear. We find the maternal labor force participation rate drops permanently after the second childbirth, but only temporarily after the first birth. The first child does not significantly worsen household finances by compressing non‐essential expenses, whereas the second child does worsen them due to the lack of room for further frugality. This suggests that fertility incentives, especially based on material factors, may be more efficient when the childbearing structure of families is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Asian Economic Journal. 2025/03, Vol. 39, Issue 1, p23
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Social Sciences and Humanities
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:1351-3958
  • DOI:10.1111/asej.12346
  • Accession Number:185861825
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Asian Economic Journal is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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