Browsing by Author "Begum, Fatema"

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    The socio-economic determinants of the number of children per household in Canada: Empirical evidence
    (University of New Brunswick, 2024-08) Begum, Fatema; Chowdhury, Murshed
    The total fertility rate has been significantly declining in Canada over the last few decades. It stands close to the lowest rate among OECD countries. This study examines the effects of socioeconomic factors on total fertility among Canadians using the “General Social Survey- Family” data of 2011 and 2017. Our estimation of an ordered logit model and subsequent marginal effects provide insights into how various socio-economic factors, such as level of education, religious affiliation, visible minority status, geographic location, income, and assets, are associated with the number of children per household. As higher education is likely to increase the opportunity cost of raising children due to employment opportunities, we observe a negative relationship between the level of education and fertility. Surprisingly, our analysis of women's employment status produces insignificant results. Our findings may guide policy formulations to address the significant decline in fertility in Canada in recent decades.