Education and Teenage Births in the UK: The Role of Genetic Propensities

Nicola Barban, University of Bologna
Selin Koksal, Bocconi University
Elisabetta De Cao, University of Bologna
Marco Francesconi, University of Essex

A substantial body of research has explored the relationship between education and fertility behaviour. However, the impact of genetic factors, which can shape both edu- cation and fertility, has been largely overlooked. Using data from the UK Biobank and leveraging a compulsory schooling age reform in 1972 as a natural experiment, we in- vestigate the effect of education on fertility outcomes. Additionally, we assess whether this effect varies by genetic predisposition for educational attainment, measured by polygenic indices. Our findings indicate that an additional year of schooling delays the age of first childbirth by more than a year, primarily through reducing teenage fertility. The reform had been particularly effective on reducing teenage motherhood for the individuals with a lower genetic propensity for educational attainment. Study- ing more delayed sexual debut without increasing contraception use during teenage years, suggesting a possible “incarceration effect” where remaining in school postpones sexual activity without necessarily enhancing contraceptive knowledge.

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