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Trends in educational assortative marriage in China from 1970 to 2000

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  • Hongyun Han

    (University of Wisconsin–Madison)

Abstract

This research examines trends in educational assortative marriage in China among first marriages from 1970 to 2000 using data from the 2000 China Population Census and the 2001 Chinese Demographic Reproductive Health Survey. The results reveal decreasing educational homogamy rates from 1970 to 1980. However, the estimated odds of educational homogamy increase substantially between 1980 and 1995 and then grow at a slower pace in the late 1990s. Further, in urban areas, increasing rates of resemblance between spouses occur a decade earlier and at a higher level, compared to rural areas. Overall, the results indicate that senior high school graduates and college graduates in the late 1990s are less likely to marry those with less education than those in the 1970s in modern China.

Suggested Citation

  • Hongyun Han, 2010. "Trends in educational assortative marriage in China from 1970 to 2000," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 22(24), pages 733-770.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:22:y:2010:i:24
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2010.22.24
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    Cited by:

    1. Jingyi Dan & Nong Zhu & Li Mei, 2022. "On the Quantum and Tempo of Women First Marriages in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-10, October.
    2. Shuang Chen, 2022. "The Positive Effect of Women’s Education on Fertility in Low-Fertility China," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 38(1), pages 125-161, March.
    3. Nie, Haifeng & Xing, Chunbing, 2019. "Education expansion, assortative marriage, and income inequality in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 37-51.
    4. Bijia Chen & Cameron Campbell & Hao Dong, 2018. "Interethnic marriage in Northeast China, 1866–1913," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 38(34), pages 929-966.
    5. Carmen Camacho & Yingya Xue, 2021. "A Chinese puzzle: fewer, less empowered, lower paid and better educated women," Working Papers halshs-03185541, HAL.
    6. Shoichi Sasaki, 2018. "Labor Market Inequality and Marital Segregation in East Asia," Discussion Papers 1822, Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University.
    7. Yang Hu & Yue Qian, 2019. "Educational and age assortative mating in China: The importance of marriage order," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 41(3), pages 53-82.
    8. Fang, Li & Tian, Chuanhao, 2018. "Housing and marital matching: A signaling perspective," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 27-46.
    9. de Bruin, Anne & Liu, Na, 2020. "The urbanization-household gender inequality nexus: Evidence from time allocation in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    10. Du, Julan & Wang, Yongqin & Zhang, Yan, 2015. "Sex imbalance, marital matching and intra-household bargaining: Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 197-218.
    11. Wanru Xiong, 2023. "Love is Elsewhere: Internal Migration and Marriage Prospects in China," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 39(1), pages 1-29, December.
    12. Ningzi Li & Yue Qian, 2018. "The Impact of Educational Pairing and Urban Residency on Household Financial Investments in Urban China," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 39(4), pages 551-565, December.
    13. Zhiyong Lin & Sonalde Desai & Feinian Chen, 2020. "The Emergence of Educational Hypogamy in India," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(4), pages 1215-1240, August.
    14. Carmen Camacho & Yingya Xue, 2021. "A Chinese puzzle: fewer, less empowered, lower paid and better educated women," PSE Working Papers halshs-03185541, HAL.
    15. M. Merli & James Moody & Joshua Mendelsohn & Robin Gauthier, 2015. "Sexual Mixing in Shanghai: Are Heterosexual Contact Patterns Compatible With an HIV/AIDS Epidemic?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 52(3), pages 919-942, June.
    16. You, Jing & Yi, Xuejie & Chen, Meng, 2021. "Love, life, and “leftover ladies” in urban China: Staying modernly single in patriarchal traditions," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    17. Ahmed Mobarak & Randall Kuhn & Christina Peters, 2013. "Consanguinity and Other Marriage Market Effects of a Wealth Shock in Bangladesh," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 50(5), pages 1845-1871, October.
    18. Martin Piotrowski & Yuying Tong & Yueyun Zhang & Lu Chao, 2016. "The Transition to First Marriage in China, 1966–2008: An Examination of Gender Differences in Education and Hukou Status," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 32(1), pages 129-154, February.
    19. Yang Hu, 2016. "Marriage of matching doors: Marital sorting on parental background in China," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 35(20), pages 557-580.
    20. David Monaghan, 2017. "The Impact of Economic Inequality and Gender Parity on Educational Assortative Mating: Evidence from the Luxembourg Income Study," LIS Working papers 607, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    21. Shuaizhang Feng & Gaojie Tang, 2019. "Accounting For Urban China'S Rising Income Inequality: The Roles Of Labor Market, Human Capital, And Marriage Market Factors," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 57(2), pages 997-1015, April.
    22. Felicia Tian, 2013. "Transition to First Marriage in Reform-Era Urban China: The Persistent Effect of Education in a Period of Rapid Social Change," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 32(4), pages 529-552, August.
    23. Yue Qian & Zhenchao Qian, 2014. "The gender divide in urban China: Singlehood and assortative mating by age and education," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 31(45), pages 1337-1364.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    China; educational homogamy; log-linear model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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