Giulia Ferrari
Gianpiero Dalla Zuanna

http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol23/21/

doi:10.4054/DemRes.2010.23.21

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Abstract

This paper investigates how family size affects children’s human capital, comparing Italy and France. We tested the dilution effect in these countries, starting with the assumption that the higher the number of siblings, the fewer parental resources are available for each child, and the lower the probability that each child will successfully pursue his/her educational career. We find a negative correlation between the number of siblings and human capital. However, when the analysis is developed with a causal approach, the strength of the dilution effect weakens in Italy and disappears in France.

Author's affiliation
Giulia Ferrari
Università di Roma “La Sapienza", Italy
Gianpiero Dalla Zuanna
University of Padua, Italy

Keywords
causal analysis, dilution effect, education, family size, siblings

Related links

You will find all publications in this Special Collection “Social Mobility and Demographic Behaviour: A Long-Term Perspective” at http://www.demographic-research.org/special/10/

Word count (Main text)
7745

Other articles by the same author/authors (in Demographic Research)

	[22-26] Comparisons of infant mortality in the Austrian Empire Länder using the Tafeln (1851-54)
	[17-15] Social mobility and fertility
	[14-19] Interdependence between sexual debut and church attendance in Italy
	[4-5] The banquet of Aeolus: A familistic interpretation of Italy's lowest low fertility

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