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The island and small-country effects on fertility

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 May 2001

John K. Horowitz  and
Leslie A. Whittington
John K. Horowitz
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland, College Park MD 20742-5535, e-mail: horowitz@arec.umd.edu
Leslie A. Whittington
Affiliation:
Georgetown Public Policy Institute, Georgetown University, Washington DC 20007, e-mail: Whittinl@gunet.georgetown.edu
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Abstract

The total fertility rate is lower in island nations than non-island nations, and in small land-area nations than large land-area nations. Because islands tend to be much smaller than non-islands, these phenomena raise the question of whether there are two distinct effects or two manifestations of a single effect. This paper uses 1990 cross-sectional data on 198 countries to estimate the independent effects of islands and land-area on fertility. We find evidence that there are two separate effects. One possible explanation for the island and small-country fertility effects can be drawn from the theory of the commons, but another possible explanation is offered by the new theory of economic growth. We explore each of these possible explanations and conclude that the small-country effect is consistent with new theories of economic growth while the island effect is likely the result of a ‘commons effect’.

Type
Theory and Applications
Information
Environment and Development Economics , Volume 6 , Issue 2 , May 2001 , pp. 161 - 182
Copyright
© 2001 Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

We thank Robert Deacon and Marc Nerlove for helpful suggestions. Janet Carpenter, Elena Irwin, Conrad Choiniere, and Jason Faberman provided research assistance.