Urban-rural differences in the desired number of children in Austria 1986–2021

Abstract

This paper focuses on the development of urban-rural differences in the desired number of children in Austria over a 35-year period. Guided by the theory of the Second Demographic Transition, we analyse representative data from a special module added to the Austrian Microcensus/Labour Force Survey approximately every five years between 1986 and 2021. Our empirical analysis confirms urban-rural differences in the desired number of children. In addition, we find evidence of convergence, primarily driven by a decline in the desired number of children in rural regions. Our results further suggest that postponement of parenthood may have led to adaptive processes decisive for this decline. We show that changes in living arrangements, female education and employment have contributed to both developments of the desired number of children and urban-rural differences. Thus, our paper not only contributes to the understanding of how social change affects demographic behaviours, but also adds to the growing body of research demonstrating the continuing relevance of urban-rural differences for current debates about family change.