Fertility of Foreign-Born Women: A Study of Duration-Based Total Fertility Rates

Sam Hyun Yoo, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea
Bongoh Kye, Kookmin University
Seulki Choi, KDI School of Public Policy and Management

South Korea's total fertility rate has dropped below 1.0, placing it among the lowest in the world. While extensive research has examined the fertility behaviors of native-born Koreans, little attention has been given to the fertility patterns of immigrant populations. This study addresses this gap by investigating the fertility levels and trends among immigrant women in South Korea between 2006 and 2020. Utilizing the Own-Children Method on a 20% sample from the 2010, 2015, and 2020 Population Censuses, we estimate the Duration-Based Total Fertility Rate (TFRd) and compare these rates between native-born and foreign-born women. Additionally, we explore fertility differences between first-generation and 1.5-generation immigrants, focusing on their age at migration. By centering on TFRd, this research provides important empirical insights into immigrant reproductive behaviors in a non-Western country that has recently transitioned from being a source of emigration to a destination for immigrants. The findings offer valuable perspectives for other developing countries experiencing similar demographic transitions, highlighting how immigrant fertility adapts in a context of persistently low fertility, and contributing to a deeper understanding of fertility dynamics in increasingly diverse populations.

Keywords: Fertility, International Migration, Census data, Data and Methods

See extended abstract.