BACKGROUND Never before have parents in most Western societies had their first children
as late as in recent decades. What are the central reasons for postponement? What is …

Résumé Cet article présente un aperçu des recherches dans le domaine de la fécondité
réalisées dans les sociétés dites avancées, c'est-à-dire les sociétés dans lesquelles le …

Two dominant theories within family research foresee a long‐term decline in marriage,
fertility, and partner stability. They also assume that this “less‐family” scenario will be …

This article reviews research on the effects of economic recessions on fertility in the
developed world. We study how economic downturns, as measured by various indicators …

BACKGROUND Across the developed world couples are postponing parenthood. This
review assesses the consequences of delayed family formation from a demographic and …

Lowest‐low fertility, defined as a period total fertility rate at or below 1.3, has rapidly spread
in Europe during the 1990s. This article traces the emergence of this new phenomenon to …

Citing valid as well as questionable evidence, both the media and social scientists have for
decades now portrayed the family as an endangered species: evermore citizens opt for …

In recent years, single, educated women who are not yet married by their late 20s in China's
major cities have been increasingly castigated as “leftover” women. After more than 3 …

Examining how youths in fourteen industrialized societies make the transition to adulthood
in an era of globalization and rising uncertainty, this collection of essays investigates the …

The rise in educational enrolment is often cited as a possible cause of the trend to later
childbearing in developed societies but direct evidence of its contribution to the aggregate …