Demographic and social implications of low fertility for family structures in Europe (Population studies No. 43) (2004)

The study sets out to investigate the relationship between low fertility and new patterns in the family and non-family sectors. It examines the social implications of childlessness, single-child families and other family sizes with an emphasis on questions of social cohesion.Firstly a theorical perspective on childlessness is given. This is followed by an analysis of the impact of changes in birth order-specific fertility on family size using the results from a simulation study which analyses how family sizes change when the level and timing of age - and order-specific fertility change. The final section discusses possible consequences for social cohesion and social exclusion of the trends identified in the previous sections with a focus on poverty.