Fertility and parental retirement

Abstract

I study how reduced retirement opportunities in one generation affect fertility in the subsequent generation. I use administrative Dutch data and exploit the 2006 Dutch pension reform, which induced individuals born from January 1, 1950 onward to delay retirement while exempting those born earlier. I find that this reform reduced fertility among women with affected mothers. The reduction is economically significant and persists after the impact on retirement fades out. I supplement my analysis with survey evidence and argue that the fertility reduction can be explained by reduced grandparental child care supply.