How Much Does Household Income Matter for Fertility Intentions in Bulgaria? Some Empirical Descriptions

Christoph Buehler, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research

Using data from the Bulgarian survey ‘The Impact of Social Capital and Coping Strategies on Reproductive and Marital Behavior’ from 2002, the influence of households' economic situations, measured by their monetary income and the share of income spent for food, on fertility intentions of individuals and couples is explored. The results show that male’s general intentions to have a second or a third child are sensitive to the economic situations of their households. However, males and females from high-income households intend to postpone the birth of a first child. Higher levels of income and lower shares of income spent for food also increase the probability that both partners intend to have a second child in general. According to the timing of a second child however, a better economic situation of the household supports primarily males’ intentions to have this child soon.