The rising share of nonmarital births: fertility choice or marriage behavior?
Gray, J.A.; Stockard, J.; Stone, J.
Demography 43(2): 241-253
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 0070-3370 PMID: 16889127 DOI: 10.1353/dem.2006.0012Document Number: 417388
Much of the sharp rise in the share of nonmarital births in the United States has been attributed to changes in the fertility choices of unmarried and married women-in response, it is often argued, to public policy. In contrast, we develop and test a model that attributes the rise to changes in marriage behavior, with no necessary changes infertility. A variety of empirical tests strongly support this conclusion and invites focused attention to issues related to marriage behavior as well as to the interactions between marriage and fertility.