Superstition, family planning, and human development, World Bank Policy Research working paper No

Are “wanted ” and “unwanted ” children treated equally by their parents? To address this question, we rely on the observation that, according to Vietnamese astrology, dates of birth are believed to be determinants of success, luck, character and good match between individuals. We then examine fertility decisions made in Vietnam between 1976 and 1996. We find that birth cohorts in auspicious years are significantly larger than in other years. Children born in auspicious years moreover do better both in health and education. While parental characteristics seem to affect fertility choices and human development simultaneously, our analysis suggests that family planning is one key mechanism leading to the observed differences in outcomes: in a society in which superstition is widespread, children born in auspicious years are more likely to have been planned by their parents, thus benefiting from more favorable financial, psychological, or emotional conditions for better human development