Educational stratification in the timing of grandparenthood in Italy: A cohort comparison, 1998-2016

Objective:This study examines educational differences in the timing of the transition to grandparenthood across two birth cohorts in Italy (1923–1938 and 1941–1956).Background:Educational differences in fertility behaviour are well established, yet less is known about how these differences extend to later-life family transitions such as grandparenthood. This issue is particularly relevant in contexts like Italy, where a substantial expansion in educational attainment has occurred alongside marked changes in fertility timing.Method:We use nationally representative data from the Italian Families and Social Subjects Survey (1998 and 2016) and focus on individuals aged 60–75 with at least one child aged 15 or older (n = 7,087 in 1998; n= 4,971 in 2016). Kaplan–Meier estimates are used to analyse the timing of grandparenthood and to compare two cohorts observed at the same stage of the life course.Results:Lower-educated individuals become grandparents earlier than their higher-educated counterparts, with median ages differing by several years (e.g., approximately 53 versus 59 among women in the earlier cohort). Across cohorts, the transition to grandparenthood is delayed, with median ages increasing by between 2 and 4 years, while the timing of parenthood remains relatively stable, leading to a widening interval between the two transitions. In addition, the probability of grandparenthood by age 75 declines in the more recent cohort.Conclusion: Educational differences are reflected in both the timing and the likelihood of experiencing grandparenthood, while cohort change is primarily driven by intergenerational shifts in fertility timing.