Intergenerational Discrepancies in Fertility Preferences among Immigrant and Dutch Families

Helga A.G. de Valk, Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI)

This study investigated the fertility preferences of parents and children in immigrant and Dutch families. I explored the preferred ages for having a first child as well as preferred family size among 1,290 parent-child dyads from the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study and the Social Position and Provisions Ethnic Minorities Survey. I examined intergenerational differences in fertility preferences and asked how ethnic origin, socio-demographic position and parents’ values influence intergenerational discrepancies. Results indicated that there are clear absolute differences in preferred timing and family size between the ethnic groups. With respect to preferred family sizes I find intergenerational differences among all ethnic groups: children prefer smaller families than their parents. There is, however, no indication that intergenerational differences are larger among immigrant families. Regarding timing of childbearing I find larger intergenerational discrepancies among Moroccan families only. Furthermore, parent and child characteristics are of limited importance for intergenerational discrepancies.