Extensive research in both developed and developing countries has shown that intentions for future childbearing predict behavior, net of other characteristics. However, the factors that promote or impede correspondence between fertility intentions and behavior are not well understood. This...

"Underachieving" fertility desires is more common among women with higher levels of education and those who delay the first marriage beyond the mid-twenties. However, the relationship between these patterns, in particular the degree to which marriage postponement explains lower fertility among...