The Gap between Ideal and Actual Family Size in Europe: The Role of Infertility

Ester Lazzari, Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital
Eva Beaujouan, University of Vienna (Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital)

Completed family size is the outcome of a combination of personal preferences and life events that can either facilitate or hinder the realisation of the ideal family size. While research indicates that people often fall short of the fertility preferences set in young adulthood, it remains unclear whether they continue to wish for more children by the end of their reproductive years. Moreover, the role of infertility in determining this gap is not well understood. Drawing on data from the second round of the Generations and Gender Survey (GGS), this study examines the correspondence between ideal and actual family size in 8 European countries. It also explores the relationship between the experience of infertility and the unfullfilment of fertility ideals. The findings reveal that approximately half of men and women in most countries wished to have more children than they ultimately did by the end of their reproductive lives. This group primarily consists of childless individuals and parents with only one child, though a notable share of respondents with two or more children also reports unmet fertility ideals. Difficulties conceiving stands out as a key predictor of the gap between ideal and actual number of children.

Keywords: Fertility

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