The Old-Age Security Motive for Fertility: Evidence from the Extension of Social Pensions in Namibia
- (pp. 488-518)
Abstract
The old-age security motive for fertility postulates that people's needs for old-age support raise the demand for children. We exploit the extension of social pensions in Namibia during the 1990s to provide a quasi-experimental quantification of this widespread idea. The reform eliminated inequalities in pension coverage and benefits across regions and ethnic groups. Combining differences in pre-reform pensions and differences in exposure across cohorts, we show that pensions substantially reduce fertility, especially in late reproductive life. The results suggest that improving social protection for the elderly could go a long way in fostering fertility decline in sub-Saharan Africa.Citation
Rossi, Pauline, and Mathilde Godard. 2022. "The Old-Age Security Motive for Fertility: Evidence from the Extension of Social Pensions in Namibia." American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 14 (4): 488-518. DOI: 10.1257/pol.20200466Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- H55 Social Security and Public Pensions
- I38 Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
- J13 Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
- J14 Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-labor Market Discrimination
- O15 Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
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