Gender Differences in the Timing and Chances of Parenthood Across Regions

An increasing number of studies have examined fertility variation at the regional level within countries, but this research has largely focused on women. As a result, our knowledge of regional variation in male fertility remains limited. The current study addresses this research gap by examining how the timing and chances of parenthood vary regionally for women and men in four countries in Northern and Western Europe. We hypothesize that gender differences in first‐time parenthood may be less pronounced in urban centers, such as the capital regions, and especially among groups with higher levels of education. The study is based on data collected from female and male cohorts born between 1963 and 1970 in Finland, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The results largely support our hypotheses, indicating that differences in the age at first birth and in the share of parents between capital and other regions are less pronounced among men than among women in all countries except the Netherlands. Consequently, there are smaller gender differences in first‐time parenthood in capital regions across three of the four countries. Furthermore, highly educated women and men living in capital regions are most similar in terms of their age at first birth and the share of parents.