Reference
Mehic, Adrian (2026). “Consent-Based Laws and Aggregate Fertility”. Journal of Health Economics 108, 103154. doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2026.103154
Using data from 31 European countries, this paper shows that the adoption of consent-based sexual assault laws reduces fertility by about 4% relative to the mean. The decline appears to be driven primarily by reduced couple formation and higher abortion rates.
