Changes in intergenerational transmission of age at first birth in China, 1941–90 cohorts

The intergenerational transmission of age at first birth is important for demographic dynamics and the reproduction of social inequality, yet it remains underexplored in China's rapidly transitioning society. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies, I examine cohort trends in intergenerational transmission of age at first birth for women born between 1941 and 1990. Results indicate that the intergenerational association has strengthened substantially over time, suggesting that family background is playing an increasingly important role in determining women's first-birth timing in the Post-Reform Era. Additionally, there is a non-linear, inverted-U-shaped pattern in the most recent cohorts (born during the 1970s and 1980s). Delays in first birth have been greatest for women whose parents had their first child at age 25-29, whereas those whose parents first gave birth after age 30 or before age 20 tend to enter parenthood earlier than this middle group.