The Trade-off between Child Quantity and Quality

@article{Hanushek1992TheTB,
  title={The Trade-off between Child Quantity and Quality},
  author={Eric Alan Hanushek},
  journal={Journal of Political Economy},
  year={1992},
  volume={100},
  pages={84 - 117}
}
  • E. Hanushek
  • Published 1 February 1992
  • Psychology
  • Journal of Political Economy
An empirical investigation of trade-offs between number of children and their scholastic performance confirms that family size directly affects children's achievement. Though parents show no favoritism to first-born children, being early in the birth order implies a distinct advantage, entirely because of the higher probability of being in a small family. Recent large changes in family size explain a portion of aggregate test score declines, but increased divorce rates and market work by… 
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Using data from the Chinese Population Census, the effect of family size on child educational attainment in China is examined and a negative correlation between family size and child outcome is found, even after controlling for the birth order effect.
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Education is a crucial determinant of child quality. Economic theory and empirical research suggest a trade-off between the quantity and quality of children. Larger families facing tighter…
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