Transition in Second Birth Intention in a Low Fertility Context: The Case of Jiangsu, China

Luoman Bao, University of Maryland
Zhenzhen Zheng, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

After three decades of implementation of the one-child policy, a considerable proportion of couples in China qualify for a second birth, when one or both of them are only child. Given that the average age of women at first birth is quite young, a large window is open for them to achieve a second birth in their reproductive life span. It is crucial to understand what influence their second birth intention, and how the intention changes overtime. Using a panel data of 10,632 women from the Jiangsu Fertility Intention and Behavior Study (JFIBS, 2007, 2010), we found that a considerable increase in family economic resources over a three-year period largely promotes the intention for a second birth. We also found that intention for a second birth depends on a woman’s size of family of origin and her power position in the family.