The Easterlin hypothesis (Easterlin 1961, 1969, 1973) states that the positive relationship between income and fertility is dependent on relative income.[1][2] It is considered the first viable and a still leading explanation for mid-twentieth century baby booms.[3][4]
The hypothesis as formulated by Richard Easterlin presumes that material aspirations are determined by experiences rooted in family background: he assumes first that young couples try to achieve a standard of living equal to or better than they had when they grew up. This is called "relative status". If income is high relative to aspirations and jobs are plentiful, it will be easier to marry young and have more children and still match that standard of living. But when jobs are scarce, couples who try to keep that standard of living will wait to get married and have fewer children. Children are normal goods once this influence of family background is controlled. For Easterlin, the size of the cohort is a critical determinant of how easy it is to get a good job. A small cohort means less competition, a large cohort means more competition to worry about. The assumptions blend economics and sociology.[5]
Easterlin's hypothesis can also be used for further predictions of the fertility rate. Easterlin expected a new fertility boom beginning in the 1980s.[6]
^Richard A. Easterlin. 1961. “The American Baby Boom in Historical Perspective.” American Economic Review 51 (5): pp. 869–911.
^Richard A. Easterlin. 1975. Studies in Family Planning, 6 (3): pp. 54-63.
^Matthias Doepke, Moshe Hazan, and Yishay D. Maoz, 2015. "The Baby Boom and World War II: A Macroeconomic Analysis," Review of Economic Studies, vol. 82(3), pp. 1031-1073.
^Matthew J. Hill, Easterlin revisited: Relative income and the baby boom, Explorations in Economic History, Volume 56, April 2015, Pages 71-85.
^Diane J. Macunovich. 1998. "Fertility and the Easterlin hypothesis: An assessment of the literature," Journal of Population Economics vol 11, pp.1–59.
^Easterlin RA. 1979. What will 1984 be like? Socioeconomic implications of recent twists in age structure Demography, 15: 397-432. PMID 738471 DOI: 10.2307/2061197
and 12 Related for: Easterlin hypothesis information
The Easterlinhypothesis (Easterlin 1961, 1969, 1973) states that the positive relationship between income and fertility is dependent on relative income...
singer-songwriter and musician Richard Easterlin (born 1926), American economist Easterlin paradox Easterlinhypothesis Easterling (surname) This page lists...
after him, the Easterlin paradox. Another of his contributions is the Easterlinhypothesis about long waves of baby booms and busts. Easterlin was born in...
predictable influence on the economy over a long time period. The Easterlinhypothesis deals with the post-war baby-boom. Harry Dent has written extensively...
include Becker (1960), Mincer (1963), and Easterlin (1969). The latter developed the Easterlinhypothesis to account for the Baby Boom. Bongaarts proposed...
the 2000s, several studies have obtained the opposite result, so this Easterlin paradox is controversial. Historically, economists have said that well-being...
Richard Easterlin (1974) published research that showed that increased income didn't generate the same proportional increase in wealth. Easterlin theorized...
Critique of Pride and Prejudice"; Nancy Easterlin, "Hans Christian Andersen's Fish out of Water"; Nancy Easterlin, "Psychoanalysis and the 'Discipline'...
permanent income hypothesis, and several more modern alternatives such as the life-cycle hypothesis and the relative income hypothesis. By the end of the...
based on applied general equilibrium theory and microeconomic principles. Easterlin paradox A finding in happiness economics which states that at a point...
investments in public transport can make overall congestion on the road worse. Easterlin paradox: For countries with income sufficient to meet basic needs, the...
Romance Studies, Duke University: A cultural history of the banjo. Nancy Easterlin, Professor of English, University of New Orleans: What is literature for...
Global Information