治理研究 ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (5): 127-142.

• 人口治理 • 上一篇    下一篇

延长时间还是优化结构:生育休假政策的治理效应研究

朱荟, 李昉   

  • 收稿日期:2025-08-01 出版日期:2026-09-15 发布日期:2026-10-28
  • 作者简介:朱荟,南开大学社会学院教授、博士生导师;
    李昉,南开大学社会学院博士研究生。
  • 基金资助:
    国家社科基金重大项目“‘十五五’时期中国人口增长趋势、结构变迁、社会影响及对策研究”(24&ZD156);南开大学亚洲研究中心项目“中国式现代化进程中老龄化国家战略的政策执行与治理效能研究”(AS2511)

Longer Leave or Better Design:The Effects of Parental Leave Policies on Fertility Decisions

Zhu Hui, Li Fang   

  • Received:2025-08-01 Published:2026-09-15 Online:2026-10-28

摘要:

生育休假政策是各国应对低生育率的重要工具,对该项政策的优化调整多聚焦于假期天数的增加,但过长的母亲专属假期可能存在负面影响。基于“母亲福利强度”与“性别均衡程度”两个核心维度,使用OECD家庭数据库与欧洲社会调查数据,检验22个国家的生育休假政策对个体生育与再生育决策的影响。结果显示:母亲的休假时长及全额支付津贴时长与个体的生育决策呈显著负相关,父母休假时长之比与个体生育决策呈显著正相关,父亲生育休假时长的影响不显著。异质性分析表明,母亲福利强度与生育行为之间的负向关联、父母休假时长之比与生育行为之间的正向关联随年龄增长而增强,政策对女性的生育与再生育决策影响更大。生育休假政策并非假期越长越好,中国未来的政策调整应注重假期结构的优化,建立权益受保障的照料者灵活工作安排制度,推动育儿成本共担,并通过父育假制度的探索推动家庭内部育儿责任的再分配。

关键词: 生育休假, 生育决策, 生育支持政策, 性别平等, 父育假

Abstract:

Parental leave policy is an important policy instrument used by countries to address low fertility. Policy reforms have often focused on extending the duration of leave. However,excessively long periods of maternity leave may also generate adverse effects. Focusing on two core dimensions,the intensity of maternal benefits and the degree of gender balance,this study draws on data from the OECD Family Database and the European Social Survey to examine the effects of parental leave policies on individuals' fertility and subsequent fertility decisions across 22 countries. The duration of maternity leave and the duration of fully paid maternity leave are significantly negatively associated with individuals' fertility decisions. The ratio of fathers' to mothers' leave duration is significantly positively associated with fertility decisions. Yet,the duration of paternity leave has no significant effect. Heterogeneity analyses further indicate that the negative association between the intensity of maternal benefits and fertility behavior,as well as the positive association between the ratio of fathers' to mothers' leave duration and fertility behavior,becomes stronger with age. The effects of parental leave policies on both fertility and subsequent fertility decisions are also more pronounced among women. These findings suggest that longer parental leave is not necessarily better. Future policy reform in China should place greater emphasis on optimizing the structure of leave arrangements,establish rights-protected flexible working arrangements for caregivers,promote a more equitable sharing of childrearing costs,and facilitate the redistribution of childcare responsibilities within families through the further development of paternity leave.

Key words: parental leave, fertility decisions, fertility-support policies, gender equality, paternity leave

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