Soon, later, or ever? The impact of anomie and social capital on fertility intentions in Bulgaria (2002) and Hungary (2001)

• Published in: Population studies Vol. 60; no. 3; pp. 289 - 308
• Main Authors: Philipov, Dimiter, Spéder, Zsolt, Billari, Francesco C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis Group 01.11.2006; Routledge Journals; Population Investigation Committee, London School of Economics and Political Science
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Anomie; Birth intervals; Birth Spacing; Bulgaria; Child psychology; Childbirth; Children; Comparative analysis; Cultural Capital; Demography; Families & family life; Female; Fertility; fertility intentions; Household income; Humans; Hungary; Intention; Male; Parity; Population Surveillance; Post-communist societies; Pregnancy; Regression analysis; Religiosity; Social capital; Social psychology; Social Support; Social values; Socioeconomic Factors; Survey analysis; very low fertility; Wellbeing; Women; Hungary; Bulgaria
• ISSN: 0032-4728; 1477-4747
• DOI: 10.1080/00324720600896080

We use survey data from Bulgaria and Hungary to investigate the determinants of whether women intend to have a first or a second child and, if so, whether they intend to have the child within the ensuing 2 years or later. These determinants differ significantly by the order and timing of the intended birth. The variables used include measures of anomie and social capital and these appear to be among the factors that determine both whether to have a child and when. There is some evidence that these measures and economic factors are relatively more important in Bulgaria than in Hungary, and that ideational factors are more important in Hungary, particularly in the case of voluntary childlessness.