Socioeconomic Determinants of Fertility Behavior in Korea: a Multilevel Analysis.

Abstract

The study examines the socioeconomic determinants of fertility behavior in Korea by developing a model which simultaneously takes into account both individual and community-level differences. It especially focuses on the micro-macro nexus of fertility behavior depending on social contexts. This study utilizes micro data obtained from the 1974 Korean National Fertility Survey (KNFS), and macro data obtained from Korean government statistics. The framework of the model is formalized as a set of structural equations modelling the fertility process. The model is formed on a cohort-specific processual basis and is restricted to five-year birth cohorts. Three cohorts of women are studied: those aged 30-34, 35-39, and 40-44. The model includes three fertility-process components: age at first birth, early fertility, and later fertility, which are defined by reference to the age of the mother. The results of this study indicate that socioeconomic development in Korea results in increased age at first birth and reduced numbers of children per couple. In addition to the developmental change, Korea's fertility decline is found to be facilitated by family planning programs. As expected, the effect of family planning on fertility is greater among better-educated women than among poorly educated women. The inconsistent but suggestive result, however, is that the effect of socioeconomic development on fertility is greater among less-privileged women than among more-privileged women.