Socioeconomic differentials in multipartner fertility among men

Abstract

Abstract: This paper analyzes male fertility, focusing especially on multi-partner fertility, for cohorts born 1955 to 1984. We find that socioeconomic disadvantaged men have the lowest chance of becoming fathers, and also the lowest likelihood of having more children in stable unions. Multi-partner fertility, on the other hand, is positively associated with both disadvantage and advantage, as higher-order birth-risks with a new partner are more prevalent among men with low as well as high socio-economic status. An intervening factor among the former may be more unstable unions and higher dissolution risks, while the elevated risk among the latter may be associated with their higher prefrerences for children as well as features that make these men more attractive as partners and fathers of future children. Keywords: Male fertility, multi-partner fertility, childlessness, socioeconomic differences