Trade Openness and Fertility Rates in Africa: Panel-Data Evidence

Manoel Bittencourt, Matthew Clance and Yoseph Getachew

No 201856, Working Papers from University of Pretoria, Department of Economics

Abstract: We study the effect of trade openness on fertility rates in fifty African countries during the 1970 – 2010 period. Allowing for country and time fixed effects, our results indicate that trade openness and imports of manufactured goods are related to lower fertility. Furthermore, trade with the former colonial powers and imports of high-skilled manufactured goods, which include television receivers and telecommunications equipment, are related to lower fertility too. Although Africa still export agricultural products and raw materials, and in contrast with the comparative-advantages prediction, our results suggest that the knowledge and gender norms emanating from imported high-skilled manufactured goods are affecting fertility choices and, ultimately, having a reinforcing effect on Africa's ongoing demographic transition.

Keywords: openness; fertility; Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F6 J10 N37 O55 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 9 pages
Date: 2018-08
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his and nep-int
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Related works:
Working Paper: Trade Openness and Fertility Rates in Africa: Panel Data Evidence (2020)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pre:wpaper:201856

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