Zusammenfassung:
Taking as a starting point the low period fertility rates in Austria, this paper addresses the question to which extent the low period fertility rates in Austria can be accounted for by effects of structural and financial measures. Using data from the Austrian Population Policy Acceptance Survey 2001 we analyse the effects of these two publicly controversial discussed incentives on the desired total number of children, on wanting no (more) children, and on fertility aspirations under the implementation of certain public policies. Based on zero-inflated Poisson models we find that only structural constraints have an effect on the desired number of children, while financial constraints have no effect. Logistic regression results suggest that neither structural nor financial factors affect the desire for wanting (more) children. Concerning the fertility aspiration under the implementation of certain policy measures our results based on matching methods indicate that both structural and financial incentives would have an effect on thinking about having a(nother) child, on deciding to have a(nother) child, as well as on having the first/next child sooner. However, at parity zero financial incentives seemed to be more important, while at parity one especially structural incentives are the driven force of fertility aspirations.