Abstract
This paper aims to determine whether the recent decline in fertility in Argentina reflects a postponement of births, a compression of the reproductive calendar, or a decline in fertility quantum. To this end, it combines vital statistics and census microdata, examining period fertility, age-specific profiles, and cohort trajectories. The results indicate that the decline is driven by more than one mechanism. Between 2015 and 2020, the tempo-adjusted estimates show that part of the decrease was associated with birth postponement. However, the subsequent convergence of observed and adjusted fertility at substantially lower levels also points to a reduction in reproductive intensity. Among cohorts whose fertility was nearly complete, the absence of recuperation at older ages is consistent with a decline in fertility quantum.
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