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Social Norms and Household Savings Rates in China

Author

Listed:
  • Yvonne Jie Chen
  • Zhiwu Chen
  • Shijun He

Abstract

We study the effects of Confucian social norms on savings rates in China. In our simple two-period model, parents have the option to invest in either a risk-free asset or their children’s human capital. We assume that the filial piety norms and thus the enforcement mechanisms for supporting old-age parents differ across regions. Consequently, the probability of children’s non-performance of their repayment obligations to parents and the returns parents can expect from investing in their children vary. We test the model predictions using data from the China Household Finance Survey. We find that stronger Confucian social norms reduce the gap in the savings rate between families with sons and with daughters. Modeling default by children as a function of the prevailing social norms gives us the flexibility to study the impacts of declining Confucian influence on consumption–savings trends in China.

Suggested Citation

  • Yvonne Jie Chen & Zhiwu Chen & Shijun He, 2019. "Social Norms and Household Savings Rates in China," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 23(5), pages 961-991.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:revfin:v:23:y:2019:i:5:p:961-991.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/rof/rfy029
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Household savings rate; China; Social norms; Confucianism;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors
    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers

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