Realization, Postponement and Abandonment Factors of realizing child-bearing intentions in four European countries

Balázs Kapitány, Demographic Research Institute
Zsolt Spéder, Demografic Research Institute Budapest

This study investigates the realization of time-related positive fertility intentions using a comparative approach. Four European countries of medium size (two Western /the Netherlands and Switzerland/ and two post-communist /Hungary and Bulgaria/) with rather different fertility regimes are compared. Using four harmonized longitudinal panel surveys, it was possible to construct a typology of fertility intentions and outcomes, and to identify common patterns but also country differences with regard to influencing factors. Employing multinominal logistic regressions we unfold factors influencing realization of intentions, postponement and abandonment of future childbearing. Age, partnership status and education seem to influence the realization of fertility intention in the same way in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Hungary and Bulgaria. However, the effects of parity and religious denomination differ in the four studied countries.