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Séminaire d’économie de Bordeaux

Marine de Talancé

Compulsory education, fertility and childlessness in Indonesia

Abstract: This paper examines the role of women’s education on several fertility outcomes. To identify causal effects, I exploit variations in women’s education induced by the extension of compulsory schooling in Indonesia. The effect of the reform is identified through a difference-in-differences model that uses both geographic and temporal variations of the policy. The study finds that expanding compulsory schooling caused an increase in women’s education, mainly in regions that were initially lagging behind. While total or desired fertility were unaffected, extra schooling caused women to delay the onset of fertility and led to a decrease in childlessness. An analysis of the mechanisms that drive the relationship between education and fertility shows that better-educated women are more attractive on the marriage market and marry later, thereby reducing the likelihood of childlessness and delaying childbearing. While no effect is found on the labor market, education increases contraceptive use and women’s decision-making authority.