Does Electrification Spur the Fertility Transition? Evidence From Indonesia

Michael Grimm, Robert Sparrow, Luca Tasciotti

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticle

    Abstract

    We analyze various pathways through which access to electricity affects fertility in Indonesia, using a district difference-in-difference approach. The electrification rate increased by 65 % over the study period, and our results suggest that the subsequent effects on fertility account for about 18 % to 24 % of the overall decline in fertility. A key channel is increased exposure to television. Using in addition several waves of Demographic and Health Surveys, we find suggestive evidence that increased exposure to TV affects, in particular, fertility preferences and increases the effective use of contraception. Reduced child mortality seems to be another important pathway.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1773-1796
    JournalDemography
    Volume52
    Issue number5
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2015

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Does Electrification Spur the Fertility Transition? Evidence From Indonesia'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this