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Educational Homogamy Lowers the Odds of Reproductive Failure

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  • Susanne Huber
  • Martin Fieder

Abstract

Assortative mating based on education is a common phenomenon. We investigated whether it affected parameters of reproductive performance such as childlessness, offspring number and age at first marriage. On the basis of the US census from 1980 (n = 670,631 married US couples), we find that the proportion of childless individuals is usually minimal in women married to a husband of the same educational level. This holds particularly true in the highest and the lowest educated women. Educational homogamy is also associated with a lower average age at first marriage. No obvious effect of educational homogamy on a woman's average offspring number is found, where mean offspring number generally increases both with decreasing woman's and decreasing husband's educational attainment. We conclude that educational homogamy reduces the likelihood of reproductive failure.

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  • Susanne Huber & Martin Fieder, 2011. "Educational Homogamy Lowers the Odds of Reproductive Failure," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(7), pages 1-6, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0022330
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022330
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Weiss, Yoram & Willis, Robert J, 1997. "Match Quality, New Information, and Marital Dissolution," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 15(1), pages 293-329, January.
    2. Helena Skyt Nielsen & Michael Svarer, 2009. "Educational Homogamy: How Much is Opportunities?," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 44(4).
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