Family Size and Education Inequalities: Trends and Patterns over Three Generations

James Lachaud, Université de Montréal
Thomas LeGrand, Université de Montréal
Jean-François Kobiané, Université de Ouagadougou

This study aims to assess and analyze the patterns of family size, education, and inequality over time considering three real generations, and to measure the impact of family size on education inequalities from a generation to another. After carrying out a mathematical conceptualization of the relationship considering a generational perspective, we used data from the Demtrend survey. And First-difference models were estimated. Our findings point to a democratization of schooling access over time and generations. The evolution of literacy shows important change in schooling access over generation, and also changing in education aspirations of family. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that the family size decline from grandmother to mother made increase significantly years of schooling from mother to children. Nonetheless, it would reinforce educational inequalities over generations, unless external contributions as family or institutional supports mitigate or eliminate this lever effect. On the reproduction of intrafamily inequality, fertility size decline is non-significant only for poorer family.