Marital Fertility of Immigrants in 1905 Madrid

Michel Oris, University of Geneva
Stanislao Mazzoni, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Diego Ramiro, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)

Recent progresses have been done to understand the contribution of migrants to fertility in past populations. However, still little is known about fertility of migrants in capital cities that were at the vanguard of modernization. This study investigates differential marital fertility by origin in the city of Madrid in 1905. We test hypotheses of adaptation, socialization, selection, and disruption. We use civil data (‘Padrón municipal’, an administrative register in which residents were recorded, and the civil birth register) related to the hospital district of Madrid. In addition to descriptive statistics, logistic models on the probability of a legitimate birth are proposed. We find a general adaptation of migrants to fertility levels of the city even if isolated indications of socialization and disruption can also be recognized. Selection remains unclear. Our findings highlight how the dominant pattern in 1905 Madrid involved similar marital fertility for natives and for migrants of diverse origins, a scenario mainly due to adverse conditions encountered by the lower classes in the city. Despite some limitations, this paper extends knowledge on fertility differentials by origin in urban environments over historical time.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 138. Long-Term Perspectives on Fertility and Its Consequences