Do Socioeconomic Status and Father Involvement Predict Chinese Families’ Decision to Have More Children? Results of a Cluster Sampling Data in Guangzhou

Implementing a universal fertility policy is key to population growth worldwide. In this study, we examine the predicative factors influencing fathers to have two or more children under the implementation of China’s universal two-child policy. We collected 547 validated questionnaires from fathers in Guangzhou with two or more children. We surveyed their participation in family and social services, including their role, employment situation, and considerate factors of their involvement. The findings revealed that working in primary or labor-intensive industrial jobs, sharing breadwinner and caregiver roles in the household, and taking a job with flexible working hours might associate with a higher possibility of the household having more children. The result highlights the role of fathers and their involvement in the family as key motivating factors of having more children.