In-between urban change and rural stasis: Childbearing postponement as an indicator of regional transitions in Southern Europe

Childbearing postponement, more sensitive to economic fluctuation, increased during the second demographic transition, together with a reduction in the number of children per woman and the increasing age at the first child. Since the 2007 recession causes a downturn in population dynamics of affected countries, the present study investigates spatial changes in mother's age at birth along the urban gradient in Greece. The percent composition of births by mother's age class-a gross indicator of fertility under changing socioeconomic contexts-was studied at 4 spatial scales (the whole country, administrative regions, provinces, and metropolitan areas) over the time period 1980-2016, encompassing a cycle from economic expansion to recession. The outcomes of this study highlight the neutral effects of the 2007 recession on fertility trends in Greece, consolidating a process of childbearing postponement observed since the early 1980s, fostering a persistent divide in fertility trends between urban and rural areas.