The most modest and the most affluent women have the most children

In France, fertility is the highest for the most modest women on the one hand, and for the most affluent women on the other hand. If they had throughout their lifetime the fertility observed during the years 2012 to 2017 by age and birth order and the same position on the living standards scale, the poorest and most well-off women would have two children on average. The latter have their children later.

Among the wealthiest 10%, the majority of women would have exactly two children; only 8% of them would have none. Among the poorest, one woman in three would have at least three children.

Women born abroad have higher fertility and are over-represented among the most modest. The fertility gaps between women born in France and those born abroad are significantly more important among the most modest. With a standard of living over 3,000 euros per month, they have almost the same number of children.

Fertility is the lowest for women with an intermediate standard of living, around 1,400 euros per month. Among these women, more than one in four would not have children and only 17% would have at least three.

The level of education influences fertility in various ways. For the wealthiest women, the most graduated have more children. For the most modest the reverse is true.