The Effect of Perceived Economic Inequality on Fertility Intentions

1. Study 1 (N = 311,528 users; 428,660 posts) analyzed Sina Weibo posts (2021–2025) with latent semantic analysis (LSA) to measure expressions of economic inequality and low fertility intentions 2. Study 2 (N = 6,504) drew on the 2022 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), assessing perceived economic inequality with a single item and fertility intentions via ideal number of children. 3. Study 3 (N = 288) surveyed childless adults of reproductive age on perceived economic inequality, fertility intentions, financial status anxiety, and anticipated parenting stress using validated multi-item scales. Mediational analyses tested whether financial status anxiety and anticipated parenting stress explained the link between inequality and fertility intentions. 4. Studies 4A (N = 237, China) and 4B (N = 250, U.S.) manipulated economic inequality via scenario-based and virtual society tasks to examine causal effects, with participants completing the same psychological measures and demographic controls. All studies followed ethical guidelines, and sample sizes ensured sufficient statistical power.