From Leave to Life: How Does Fathers' Parental Leave Uptake Influence Continued Childbearing in Germany?

Details

Supervisors

Rizzi, Ester Lucia

Faculty

Faculté des sciences économiques, sociales, politiques et de communication

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences de la population et du développement, à finalité spécialisée: démographie

Abstract

In response to declining fertility rates, European countries have significantly enhanced their family policies and welfare systems, with a particular emphasis on parental leave provisions to encourage childbearing (Gauthier, 2007; Gauthier & Philipov, 2008). Notably, in 2007, Germany introduced the fathers’ quota, aimed at increasing paternal participation in parental leave and, subsequently, fertility rates. Given Germany’s persistently low fertility rates, understanding the impact of paternal leave on subsequent childbearing is critical and represents a substantial political concern. Using data from the German Family Panel (pairfam) across a sample of heterosexual fathers over 11 waves (2008-2019), we conducted a linear probability regression and performed a stratified analysis by region. The findings indicate that paternal leave uptake for the first child has a robust and positive effect on continued childbearing in West Germany, whereas a negative effect is observed in East Germany. These results carry significant implications for family policy and demographic research, underscoring the importance of paternal involvement, gender attitudes, and regional variations in fertility behaviour.