This thesis contributes to enhance our knowledge on fertility decisions by addressing two major issues. First, it contributes to the understanding of the factors behind the differences in fertility levels among European countries by adopting a holistic perspective. Second, it adds to the fertility topic by examining the whole fertility decision-making process using a dyadic and a life-course perspective to address the ‘fertility gap’ that exists between desired family size and the actual number of children. In order to provide these contributions, this thesis is structured as follows. After a detailed review of the literature, major attention is dedicated to the analysis of the differences in terms of fertility levels between the European countries (Chapter 2). Chapter 3 investigates the fertility decision-making process exploiting the unique information of HILDA, which allows for a dyadic as well as longitudinal analysis of the overall process. The last chapter examines in-depth the transition to parenthood among couples of diverse ethnic origins in Australia.

Prevailing low fertility rates in several European states, such as Germany, have been studied widely in recent years. Findings include discrepancies between fertility preference and actual family size as well as between fertility intentions and fertility behavior; an ‘unmet need’ for children found on the individual and the societal level. Fertility preference is specified as the individual ideal number of children, and fertility intentions as the long- or short-term plans to have a child. Apart from investigating the rates of realization, these measures have been understudied. The objective of this study is to illuminate a new angle of low fertility rates in Germany by reviewing fertility measures previously considered to be stable predictors of fertility behavior. The aim is to investigate the stability of fertility preferences and of positive short-term fertility intentions of Germans in their reproductive age. According to the Theory of Planned Behavior and the life-course perspective, attitudes and experiences can influence fertility preferences and short-term fertility intentions. In this study, the suspected connection between unstable preferences and intentions and certain attitudes towards and experiences with the career, working life, and childcare situation is examined. These processes are expected to differ between men and women, and between childless individuals, parents with one child and parents with more than one child. Using data from seven survey waves of the German family panel pairfam, fixed-effects and random-effects regression models are run separately for women and men and for those of different parities. The results suggest that those with high career importance and those who expect or perceive a negative effect of children on the career are more likely to have unstable positive intentions. Although fertility preferences are shown to be somewhat unstable, no relevant relationships can be found. The differences between the findings on men and women regarding relevant determinants and direction of the relationships are unexpectedly small. Childless individuals are as likely to hold unstable preferences and intentions as parents.

The objective of the thesis is to compare planned and realized fertility of a small sample of Czech women with finished fertility. A questionnaire was used to determine both planned and actual number of children, their gender, birth order and spacing and the age of woman at her first birth and her marital status. The realization of these events was compared and the reasons for failure were identified. A sample of 47 respondents anonymously completed the two-page questionnaire comprising of four parts -- plan, reality, personal characteristics and additional questions. Additional questions were related to contraception, abortions, religion, etc. The survey showed average number of 2.34 child per woman, whereas planned average number was 2.28. Further, on average 53 % of women fulfilled their plans regarding number of children, gender and order, spacing, age at the first birth and age at the first marriage. Finally, the correlation between observed number of children and planned number of children was analysed based on gathered data. The resulting model showed that the planned number of children one corresponds with realized number of children 1.47.

La presente tesi è un contributo allo studio delle implicazioni economiche delle intenzioni di fecondità e all’analisi degli aspetti economici legati ai processi decisionali riproduttivi. Precisamente la tesi, composta da tre capitoli indipendenti e basata su dati Italiani, si focalizza su donne, su individui che vivono in coppia e sulle coppie. In particolare lo studio mira a comprendere: i) l'interazione esistente tra il mercato del lavoro (con un focus particolare sul ruolo del settore occupazionale femminile) e le preferenze per la formazione della famiglia; ii) le influenze della ripartizione dei ruoli domestici all’interno della coppia sulle intenzioni riproduttive; iii) le determinanti (all’interno delle coppie) dell’accordo/disaccordo circa l'intenzione di diventare genitori una seconda volta, e -per coppie che registrano un disaccordo- iv) le determinanti che spingono una donna a contrastare l’intenzione positive del suo partner per un secondo figlio. La tesi utilizza il mixed-method design, una strategia basata sull’analisi quantitativa dei dati nonché sull’analisi approfondita di interviste: questo approccio consente di studiare l'argomento da diverse prospettive e -grazie ai due metodi di ricerca -quantitativo e qualitativo- di approfondire le conoscenze del fenomeno di interesse. / The thesis is a contribution to the study of the economic implications of fertility intentions and desires and of the economic aspects of the fertility decision making process. Precisely, it is based on three autonomous chapters and it aims at understanding: a) for women and for individuals within the couples the interplay between fertility and labour market preferences (with a particular focus on the role of women's sector of employment), and the influences that the (un)balanced division of domestic duties play on the intentions of becoming parents for another time in Italy; b) for couples living together the determinants of their (dis)agreement about the intention of becoming parents again; and c) for couples that disagree on future fertility plans, the determinants of female’s contrasting attitude towards her partners’ positive fertility intention. The dissertation uses a mixed-method design- a strategy based on survey data analysis as well as in-depth interviews analysis: this approach allows investigating the topic from different perspectives, by means of both quantitative and qualitative research methods in order to provide new insights into the phenomenon of interest.