Around the world, people with more years of education tend to have fewer children, and to have them later in life. This link is strongest for women’s education.
Demographers, the scientists who study populations, have seen this pattern for decades. It helps explain why birth rates fall as countries expand schooling, especially for girls.
This article explains what the data shows, why education and birth rates are connected, and what it means for families and for education policy.
What the Data Shows
Our World in Data publishes a chart comparing women’s average years of schooling with the fertility rate in each country. The fertility rate is the average number of children a woman would have in her lifetime.
In general, countries where women spend more years in school have lower fertility rates. Countries where many girls leave school early tend to have higher fertility rates.
Within countries too
The pattern is also seen inside countries. A 2024 study from Colombia’s central bank found that education made women more likely to have fewer children and less likely to give birth very young. The same study also noted that fertility fell in every education group, so education was not the only cause.
Teen births
The World Health Organization notes that adolescent pregnancy rates tend to be higher among girls with less education or low economic status. We explore this in more detail in our article on parental education and teen pregnancy.
Why Education Is Linked to Lower Birth Rates
Researchers suggest several reasons. Most likely, they work together.
1. Staying in school delays marriage and first birth
Each extra year in school is often a year when a young woman is not yet married or having children. This pushes the first birth later.
2. More job opportunities
Education opens doors to paid work. When women have careers, they may choose to have fewer children or space them further apart.
3. Better health knowledge
Educated women are more likely to know about family planning and health services, and to use them.
4. Lower child mortality
Educated mothers’ children are more likely to survive. When parents are confident their children will live to adulthood, they often choose to have fewer.
5. Investing more in each child
Parents with more education often focus on giving each child more schooling and attention. Economists call this the “quality over quantity” choice.
6. Stronger voice in decisions
Education can give women more say in decisions about marriage, family size and their own lives.
Why “Parental” Education Matters Here
This topic connects with parental education in two ways:
- Parents’ own education is linked to how many children they have.
- Smaller families may allow parents to give each child more time, money and support for school.
That is one of several reasons why, on average, children of more-educated parents do better in school. Read the full picture in our guide on how parental education affects children’s success.
Important Cautions
- It is a pattern, not a rule. Many highly educated people have large families, and many with less schooling have small ones.
- Culture and policy matter. Religion, family values, child care and housing costs all affect family size.
- Neither high nor low birth rates are “good” or “bad” in themselves. The goal of education is to give people real choices, not to push a family size.
- Some rich countries now worry about very low birth rates. The link with education is one of many factors they study.
What This Means for Families
- Keeping girls in school, at least through secondary level, gives them more choices about their future.
- Delaying marriage and first birth until adulthood is better for the health of young mothers and their babies.
- Whatever the family size, the habits that help children learn, such as reading, routines and contact with school, can be practised in every home.
Health benefits also come with parents’ education. Our article on parental education and child health explains more.
What This Means for Policy
- Investing in girls’ secondary education has wide benefits for health, income and family wellbeing.
- Programmes that cut school costs, such as free uniforms or stipends, help keep girls enrolled.
- Ending child marriage protects girls’ right to education.
- Health education in schools helps young people make informed choices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does education cause lower birth rates?
Education is strongly linked to lower birth rates, and many studies suggest it plays a real role. But income, health, culture and policy also matter, so it is not the only cause.
Is the mother’s or father’s education more important?
Most research focuses on women’s education, which shows the strongest link with fertility.
Does this mean educated people do not want children?
No. Most educated people still have children. They often have them later and may choose to have fewer.
Key Takeaways
- More education, especially for women, is linked to lower birth rates.
- The link is seen between countries and within them.
- Staying in school, jobs, health knowledge and child survival help explain it.
- Education gives people more choices about their families and futures.
