nep-dem New Economics Papers
on Demographic Economics
Issue of 2025–12–08
three papers chosen by
Héctor Pifarré i Arolas, University of Wisconsin


  1. Socioeconomic Inequality in Longevity: A Multidimensional Approach By Paul Bingley; Claus Thustrup Kreiner; Benjamin Ly Serena
  2. Family Institutions and the Global Fertility Transition By Paula Eugenia Gobbi; Anne Hannusch; Pauline Rossi
  3. Gender equality through marriage By Moroni, Gloria; Nicoletti, Cheti; Salvanes, Kjell Gunnar; Tominey, Emma

  1. By: Paul Bingley (The Danish Center for Social Science Research); Claus Thustrup Kreiner (Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen); Benjamin Ly Serena (The ROCKWOOL Foundation Research Unit)
    Abstract: Socioeconomic inequality in longevity is typically measured using a single socioeconomic indicator such as education or income. We combine multiple indicators—education, income, occupation, wealth, and IQ scores—and apply machine learning to measure inequality in longevity. Using Danish population-wide data spanning 40 years, we track mortality for the 1942–44 birth cohorts from age 40 onwards to estimate life expectancy by socioeconomic status. Individuals at the top of the socioeconomic distribution live nearly 25 years longer than those at the bottom. The socioeconomic gradient in life expectancy becomes 50–150% steeper when using multiple indicators.
    Keywords: Life Expectancy, Inequality, Machine Learning
    JEL: I14
    Date: 2025–12–01
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kud:kucebi:2514
  2. By: Paula Eugenia Gobbi; Anne Hannusch; Pauline Rossi
    Abstract: Much of the observed cross-country variation in fertility aligns with the predictions of classic theories of the fertility transition: countries with higher levels of human capital, higher GDP per capita, or lower mortality rates tend to exhibit lower fertility. However, when examining changes within countries over the past 60 years, larger fertility declines are only weakly associated with greater improvements in human capital, per capita GDP, or survival rates. To understand why, we focus on the role of family institutions, particularly marriage and inheritance customs. We argue that, together with the diffusion of cultural norms, they help explain variations in the timing, speed and magnitude of the fertility decline. We propose a stylized model integrating economic, health, institutional and cultural factors to study how these factors interact to shape fertility transition paths. We find that family institutions can mediate the effect of economic development by constraining fertility responses.
    Keywords: Fertility transition, culture, Family institutions
    JEL: J13
    Date: 2025–11–28
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eca:wpaper:2013/397122
  3. By: Moroni, Gloria (Dept. of Economics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice); Nicoletti, Cheti (Dept. of economics, University of York); Salvanes, Kjell Gunnar (Dept. of Economics, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration); Tominey, Emma (Dept. of Economics, University of York)
    Abstract: We revisit the economic effects of marriage, analysing its heterogeneous impact on the intra-household labour division following childbirth. Can marriage promote coordination of work and child activities between parents and a gender egalitarian division of labour? Using a marginal treatment effect framework, we find the average effect of marriage is to increase parental specialization and worsen the mother’s child penalty. However, we find differences across couples with varying resistance to marriage. While traditional couples (low-resistance) exhibit increased specialization; in modern couples (high-resistance) fathers have an earnings penalty and take more paternity leave, suggesting more coordination and gender equality.
    Keywords: Cohabitation; Marriage; Specialization; Cooperation; Child human capital
    JEL: J11 J12 J13 J18
    Date: 2025–11–26
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:nhheco:2025_020

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