The economics of late grandmotherhood
We show how fertility delays compound across generations to raise age at first grandmotherhood. Under the 1960 first-birth schedule median grandmotherhood came at 44. Under the 2024 schedule it is 57, cutting the healthy years with grandchildren from 28 to 15. Longer life does not make up the loss of years when the grandmother is […] The post The economics of late grandmotherhood appeared first…
A new study reveals how later childbearing impacts the age at which grandmothers raise grandchildren. In 1960, the median age for this role was 44, but by 2024 it has risen to 57. This shift cuts the healthy years grandmothers have to care for their grandchildren from 28 to just 15. Even though life spans have increased, it doesn't offset the loss of healthy years when the grandmother is still able to provide financial and emotional support.
The delay in having children is most noticeable among college-educated women, who have greater control over their reproductive choices. Over half the reduction in grandmothers by age 55 can be attributed to this reproductive control. When a daughter delays her first birth to maximize her own benefits, she often doesn't consider the negative impact this decision has on her mother, who must then step in as a grandmother at an older age.
This phenomenon has been dubbed the "Rotten Adult Kid Problem" by economists Dora Costa and Matt Kahn. Their research, published as a NBER working paper, highlights how later childbearing raises both the cost of a grandmother's care and the wealth per grandchild.
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