Randomized trial examines fertility behavior in Northeast China, indicating significant parental influence on children's decisions.
Drawing on social embedding theory and intergenerational transmission theory, this study focuses on Northeast China and uses data from the 2022 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) to construct a two-dimensional analytical framework examining fertility intentions and fertility behavior. It explores the intergenerational transmission effects of fertility levels from parents to children, as well as the heterogeneity of these effects. The findings reveal that fertility levels in Northeast China exhibit significant negative intergenerational transmission. Parental attitudes and behaviors toward childbearing influence adult children’s fertility decisions through family socialization: the greater the number of siblings in the family of origin, the lower the fertility intentions and actual number of children among the offspring. This transmission effect shows marked heterogeneity across groups, being strongest among those in poorest health and those without pension insurance.
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Sun et al. (2026) studied this question.
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