The Impact of Intra-household Bargaining Game on Progression to Third Birth in Iran

Abstract

Couples’ bargaining power over reproductive choices can be a key component of the fertility outcome. We analyzed data from a national survey conducted in 2014 to evaluate the association of couples’ bargaining position with their progression from second to third birth in Iran. The sample included 7202 representative rural and urban Iranian families. Intra-household bargaining position was measured through the relative educational qualification of couples at the household level as well as the reversed gender gap score at the province level. The results revealed that the distribution of bargaining power between couples correlated with the progression to third birth. However, intra-household bargaining position did not have the same pattern among rural and urban families. The bargaining position of couples in the rural sample was significantly influenced by the contextual factor of the reversed gender gap. Nevertheless, the bargaining position of couples in the urban sample was influenced by both their relative educational qualification in the household and the province reversed gender gap.