%0 Report
        %A Dimico, Arcangelo
        %T The Effect of Abortion Policies on Fertility and Human Capital in Sub-Saharan Africa
        %D 2025
        %8 2025 May
        %I Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        %C Bonn
        %7 IZA Discussion Paper
        %N 17910
        %U https://www.iza.org/publications/dp17910
        %X I evaluate the impact of abortion policies in sub-Saharan Africa to understand the potential consequences of a reduced international support for women’s rights following the overturn of Roe v. Wade. I find that decriminalizing abortion reduces fertility through two complementary channels. For households at the top of the wealth distribution, the effect manifests as a reduction in excess fertility, which is more pronounced among lower-educated women due to their lower likelihood of using contraception. For households at the bottom of the wealth distribution, the impact runs through a decline in the number of children with a low survival probability. This latter effect is more pronounced among highly educated women, who are more likely to control their own health-related decisions and view abortion as a viable option. I also find that while women’s education levels rise after decriminalization, this does not lead to better labor market opportunities. Children born afterwards tend to achieve higher levels of education.
        %K child mortality
%K fertility
%K gender
%K abortion
%K human capital