A Research Note on Education, Teenage Births and The Role of Genetic Propensities

This paper examines the causal effect of education on fertility behavior using data from the UK Biobank and a regression discontinuity design that exploits the 1972 re- form, which raised the minimum school-leaving age in the UK from 15 to 16. We find that an additional year of compulsory schooling significantly reduces the probability of teenage childbirth. Our analysis indicates that this effect operates through delayed sexual initiation rather than increased use of oral contraception. We also explore po- tential gene-environment interactions and find no evidence that genetic predispositions moderate the effect of education on fertility outcomes. These findings highlight the role of compulsory education policies in shaping reproductive behavior and reducing early fertility, regardless of individuals’ genetic background.