International Variability in Childlessness

This article provides a descriptive account of international trends and variability in marital childlessness. Childlessness data, gathered largely from census questions on number of children ever born, are presented for 65 countries. In discussing trends in childlessness, we introduce several procedures for measuring childlessness that are closely analogous to standard fertility measures. We also set forth a socioeconomic development model that suggests that involuntary childessness predominates among developing countries, and voluntary childlessness among developed countries. Our findings indicate considerable international variability in marital rates of childlessness.