Childhood family background and female fertility intentions in China: analysis under different policy conditions

Objectives: This study aimed to clarify the relationship between childhood family background and female fertility intentions in adulthood, fertility intentions for a second child under the universal two-child policy, and ideal fertility intentions under no birth restrictions. Methods Using 3388 participants sampled from the 2016 China Labor-force Dynamics Survey, I analyzed the relationship between women’s family background in childhood and their fertility intentions in adulthood. Zero-inflated Poisson regression and multinomial logistic regression models were used to determine the predictors of women’s intended number of children under different policy conditions. Results Women with more siblings intended to have more children. Parents’ education had a negative effect on daughters’ fertility intentions. There was also a cohort effect in female fertility intentions. Conclusions These empirical results suggest women’s fertility intentions are associated with their family background in childhood. A better socioeconomic status in childhood means women have moderate reproductive desires in adulthood.