Rural Electrification and Fertility – Evidence from Côte d’Ivoire
Using household-level survey data from Côte d'Ivoire, this paper investigates the determinants of fertility with a particular focus on the effect of electrification. Based on a Poisson regression model, our analysis suggests a highly significant relationship between fertility and electricity, but one that is only revealed when the model distinguishes between rural and urban areas. Specifically, we find a positive association between electricity and fertility for urban households, contrasted by a negative relationship for rural households. This dichotomy is suggested to reflect the influences of electricity in facilitating child care, offset by its modernising impacts through the provision of information.
Peters, J. und C. Vance Ph.D. (2011), Rural Electrification and Fertility – Evidence from Côte d’Ivoire. Journal of Development Studies, 47, 5, 753-766