Tomorrow’s parents? Exploring the fertility intentions of young adults in Hungary

Abstract

In Hungary, where current fertility is below replacement, it is important to explore the fertility intentions of potential future parents. In our paper, we use a novel representative database to explore the future childbearing intentions of young adult Hungarians (18–29) and to estimate the potential effect of a wide range of demographic, socioeconomic and value-related independent variables. According to our results, fertility intentions are shaped by the individual’s economic status, current domicile, parental education, religiosity, parental separation, relationship status and positivity towards Hungary. Additionally, interaction models show that fertility intentions vary by age and gender: a critical period of late young adulthood is highlighted when stronger intentions notably decline for women. Finally, using subsamples, we examine the effect of climate anxiety and green behaviour. Results suggest that those who plan to have more children are more likely to behave in an environmentally conscious way.