Unveiling the ripple effect: how long-term care insurance alters family fertility decisions in China

This study employs a staggered difference-in-differences (DID) method to investigate the impact of long-term care insurance (LTCI) on family fertility decisions using longitudinal data from the Chinese Family Panel Studies. The findings suggest that LTCI significantly lowers the first childbirth age (FCA) among female offspring while reducing the overall number of births (NOB) in families. Moreover, this impact is more pronounced for families with lower education concern, higher family-oriented fertility motivation, and higher traditional concepts. Finally, mechanism analysis reveals that LTCI influences family fertility decisions through its effects on employment, resource allocation, and health.