Fertility factors in Czechia according to the results of the 2011 census

In the last quarter century, women's reproductive behaviour underwent a marked change in Czechia. The 2011 census showed a fall in cohort fertility below two children per woman by the end of her reproductive span. Factors behind changes in fertility, particularly from a cohort perspective, have not been sufficiently analyzed. The aim of this article is to determine the main factors influencing cohort fertility in Czechia. The main objective is to test the impact of the most frequently discussed factors of fertility at the individual level. The analysis is based on anonymised individual-level data from the 2011 Czech Population and Housing Census. We used the method of causal modelling to monitor the impact of various factors on cohort fertility. It was confirmed, that the key factor behind fertility levels was the marital status (married women are more likely to become mothers than single women). Other important factors included woman's income (a higher income raises the chance of remaining childless or having only one child) and achieved educational level (the level of childlessness increases as the level of education rises). Future fertility rates in Czechia will depend mainly on the extent to which university educated women will be capable to reconcile work and family life in order to fulfil their reproductive ambitions. By analysing the differences in cohort fertility among various population groups and identifying the factors that may affect fertility levels across these subpopulations, it is possible to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms behind changes of reproductive behaviour.