Types of birth schedules in cohorts with completed fertility. An analysis of the FFS data for 20 industrialized countries

Rene Houle, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
Vladimir Shkolnikov, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research

We analyze pooled data consisting of FFS surveys from 20 industrialized countries. We are looking at women aged 40-44 at the moment of survey and focus on analyses of inter-individual variability in completed birth histories, connections with individual characteristics and country contexts. In all countries childlessness is closely correlated with education. Cluster analysis of birth schedules reveals principal types of birth schedules and a dominating role of age at first birth for timing of subsequent fertility. A fraction of women have a long last birth interval whatever the number of births. It could be explained by a "last moment" completion of desired fertility, which had to be postponed before. Regressions show also associations of birth schedules with education, marital history, and country contexts.