Evidence and factors associated with the maternity postponement phenomenon in Brazil

Abstract

This paper aims to contribute to the literature on the phenomenon of postponement of motherhood in Brazil, as well as to analyze its main associated factors. The research analyzes the period from 1992 to 2015, considering information from the National Household Sample Survey and the survival analysis that makes it possible to characterize those women who are surviving without children or postponing their first child. The results show a growing tendency in maternity postponement in Brazil and that those most likely to postpone motherhood are white, single, living in urban, metropolitan areas and in the Southeast region. In addition, it was possible to identify that among the main factors that contribute to this trend is investment in human capital and participation in the labor market, which are preponderant for the postponement of motherhood.