Parental Education, Intergenerational Educational Mobility and Higher Order Births

Adriana Duta, University of Southampton

As demographic behaviour becomes more connected to social stratification, understanding fertility differentials by parental education and intergenerational educational mobility, beyond individuals’ own education, can bring new insights into how inequalities are formed over the life course. Relying on data from the British Household Panel Study and using discrete-time hazard models, this study examines the relationship between parental education, intergenerational educational mobility and the risks of second and third births. Separate models are estimated for males and females. Preliminary results suggest that regardless of their own education, females with medium educated parents have lower risks of second and third births than those with a highly educated parent. Also, upwardly mobile females seem to display higher risks while downwardly mobile lower risks of third births compared to their non-mobile counterparts. No significant associations appear in the case of males.