Fertility intentions: a literature review on high-income countries and Brazil

Abstract The literature on fertility intentions has gained increasing relevance in demographic studies because, as a close determinant of fertility, it helps understand the reproductive behavior of different populations. However, this literature has not yet been organized according to the main and most recurrent aspects covered. Studies generally use one single aspect of fertility intentions, whether through its concepts, main theories or main indicators. Therefore, the goal of this work is to organize and articulate the main and most recurrent aspects present in studies on fertility intentions. It begins by presenting the main concepts. Then, it discusses important theoretical approaches on the formation of fertility intentions, as well as its main determinants. Finally, it contextualizes fertility intentions (and their levels) in different scenarios. Throughout the discussion, for each topic presented, the paper delves deeper into the relationship between fertility intentions and observed fertility. Its first focus is on high-income countries covered in the literature on the subject. However, it also discusses middle-income countries with low fertility, focusing on Brazil, for which academic production, especially from a theoretical approach, is still incipient.