Housing and First Births in Sweden, 1972-2005

The aim of this study is to explore to what extent housing (type, tenure and number of rooms) is a constraint for first births in Sweden 1972-2005. The Swedish Housing and Life Course Cohort Study (HOLK) (n=2242) is used. The occurrence of childbearing is measured as the event of the birth itself and the time 16 months prior to the birth, i.e. initiation of conception. The main finding is that the size of the dwelling seems to be the housing factor with the strongest association with first-birth intensities. Furthermore, an association between being established on the housing market and the propensity to have a first child is found particularly for the cohort born in 1974. The effect of housing on childbearing seems to be stronger if measured to capture time of any first birth than if measured so as to coincide with the situation 16 months prior to the birth.