The unusual path of Sardinian fertility transition

Abstract

Findings from the Princeton Project show that fertility decline in Italy, as in other European countries, followed its own specific path. Despite initially low levels compared to other Southern regions, fertility levels in Sardinia went on to become the highest in Italy during the 1950s. While the national average was around 2.3 and that of the south was 3.2, the TFR of Sardinia was approaching 4 children per woman. In contrast, Sardinia presently has the lowest fertility levels of all the Italian regions. Here I will explore this peculiar path, using both aggregate and individual data.