Marriage Timing, Marriage Regime and Timing the First Birth in India

The last several decades have seen a rise in female age at marriage in Asia. As age at marriage increases, prior research directs us to expect a shorter first marital birth interval. Empirical evidence largely bears this out. However, the relationship between increasing age at marriage and shorter first birth intervals is neither direct, monotonic, nor universal. The prevailing sociological explanation proffered for this relationship invokes coital frequency and hints at a link to features of the marriage regime beyond marriage timing alone. Yet, social mechanisms relating the marriage regime to marriage timing or the first birth interval remain inadequately specified. This study adds to this body of knowledge by examining the influence of multiple factors characterizing the marriage regime (hypergamy, endogamy, marital choice, premarital practices) and gender context on the timing of the first marital birth. It uses IHDS data, a nationally representative survey of Indian households with detailed variables on marriage practices, fertility, and gender relations. An additive series of regression models analyses whether the inclusion of marriage regime and gender norm variables alters the observed relationship between marriage timing and the first birth interval and explains the variation across regions and population subgroups.