Abstract
Studies of immigrant fertility differentials indicate that foreign-born women have more children than native-born women, at least for some origin groups. Yet little is known about variation in cumulative fertility differentials over the life course, including the extent to which this variation develops into completed fertility differentials. This research responds with an analysis of cumulative fertility differentials in the UK for a cohort of women born between 1942 and 1971. Findings are consistent with age-specific patterns that have been documented for immigrant groups in the UK, but underline the importance of taking a cohort perspective, which helps to distinguish between the tempo and quantum of fertility. Immigrants have significantly higher completed fertility than UK-born natives if they were born in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Jamaica, or Western and Central Africa, but the profile of their cumulative fertility differentials—versus the UK-born—varies considerably over the life course, especially by age at migration. For example, women from Bangladesh and Pakistan have similar levels of cumulative fertility at age 40, but very different age patterns of cumulative fertility from ages 20–40. There is a consistent pattern of relatively delayed Pakistani fertility at early ages, especially for those arriving at later ages, but the same is not true for women from Bangladesh. Overall, these results imply that researchers should beware of variation in cohort fertility over the life course—with respect to both the quantum and tempo of fertility—when analysing immigrant childbearing, in addition to variation by origin and age at arrival.
Highlights
One of the most common aims of research on migrant fertility is to understand the differences between foreign-born and native-born fertility; often referred to as immigrant fertility differentials
Previous research has shown that immigrant fertility differentials vary by country of birth, this study develops new knowledge by demonstrating that there is considerable heterogeneity in differentials, for different migrant groups, and over their life course
The analysis provides a deeper understanding of immigrant fertility in the UK by examining all stages of childbearing
Summary
One of the most common aims of research on migrant fertility is to understand the differences between foreign-born and native-born fertility; often referred to as immigrant fertility differentials. In addition to broader interests in population dynamics, researchers often analyse immigrant fertility differentials with a focus on either fertility or migration This includes studies of the determinants of fertility, where immigrants are often compared to natives in an effort to understand how exposure to cultural and socio-economic norms influences childbearing behaviour Research often compares immigrant and native fertility to test a variety of hypotheses about migration and migrant fertility (Milewski 2010) This includes hypotheses that make predictions about the links between fertility and the timing of migration— for example disruption or the interrelation of events Milewski 2007; Stephen and Bean 1992) It includes hypotheses like adaptation and intergenerational assimilation that make predictions about fertility convergence, where convergence describes the way that differentials are expected to change over time It includes hypotheses like adaptation and intergenerational assimilation that make predictions about fertility convergence, where convergence describes the way that differentials are expected to change over time (e.g. Kahn 1988; Parrado and Morgan 2008)
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