"Fertility, Genes and the Sexual Revolution" by Marco Francesconi

Topic

Fertility has a biological component often overlooked by economists. This paper integrates sociogenomics into fertility research, examining how genetic endowments interact with birth cohorts to shape reproductive behavior. Using UK Biobank data, we show that genetic influences on fertility have strengthened over time as social and economic changes amplified genetic differences. The contraceptive pill diffusion is the key mediator of cohort effects. Exploiting exogenous genetic variation within families, we find that increased pill availability is associated with longer delays in childbirth, especially among women with a stronger genetic predisposition to postpone motherhood. Our findings highlight gene-environment interactions in fertility choices.