The Fertility of Immigrant Women: Family Dynamics, Migration, and Timing of Childbearing

Luis Alberto Del Rey Poveda, Universidad de Salamanca
Emilio A. Parrado, University of Pennsylvania

In contexts of below replacement fertility the growth and age structure of national populations is directly affected by immigration. In this study, we provide a detailed analysis of the fertility patterns of immigrant women in Spain. Data come from the 2007 National Survey of Immigration that collected unique retrospective information on family dynamics, migration, and fertility histories. The analysis follows a life-course perspective to identify the main transitions connecting migration and fertility behavior. Our main objectives are to: describe the reproductive patterns of immigrant women before and after migration, assess the fertility-specific contribution of immigration to the Spanish population, and elaborate on the implications of the association between migration and fertility for standard demographic analyses. Preliminary results show that migration is a significantly disruptive event that alters the age pattern of childbearing. Overall, results suggest that the fertility of immigrants will not significantly alter the problem of population aging.