Grand Challenges Canada Economic Returns to Mitigating Early Life Risks Project Working Paper Series
Document Type
Working Paper
Date of this Version
7-29-2013
Abstract
This paper explores the causal relationship between female education and fertility by exploiting a change in the compulsory schooling law (CSL) in Turkey. Using exposure to the CSL across cohorts as an instrumental variable, the results indicate that an extra year of female schooling reduces teenage fertility by 0.03 births, which is a reduction of 33%. Exploring heterogeneous effects indicates that female education reduces teenage fertility more in provinces with higher initial fertility and lower population density. Finally, the CSL postpones childbearing by delaying marriage thereby reducing fertility.
Keywords
Compulsory schooling, Economic development, Female education, Fertility, Instrumental variables, Turkey
Recommended Citation
Güneş, Pınar 2013. "The Impact of Female Education on Fertility: Evidence from Turkey." Grand Challenges Canada Economic Returns to Mitigating Early Life Risks Project Working Paper Series, 2013-1. https://repository.upenn.edu/gcc_economic_returns/1.
Date Posted: 26 July 2013
Comments
Güneş, Pınar Mine. 2013. "The Impact of Female Education on Fertility: Evidence from Turkey." GCC Working Paper Series, GCC 13-01.