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Do Siblings Make Us Happy?

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  • Shun Wang
  • Weina Zhou

Abstract

This paper examines the sibling effect on individuals' happiness. To identify the effect, we explore random gender assignment of siblings, conditional on the number of siblings, among urban residents born before the One Child Policy (1979) in China. We find that having more brothers significantly increases individuals' happiness. Specifically, having one more brother rather than one sister increases one's self-reported happiness by 0.038 on a 1- to 5-point scale. The brothers effect is particularly significant among low-income and unstable-income individuals. These results are consistent with findings in early literature, suggesting that brothers provide each other with financial support in case of need.

Suggested Citation

  • Shun Wang & Weina Zhou, 2018. "Do Siblings Make Us Happy?," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 66(4), pages 827-840.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:ecdecc:doi:10.1086/697431
    DOI: 10.1086/697431
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    Cited by:

    1. Honghui Li & Masato Hiwatari, 2024. "Unveiling the direct and indirect effects of sibling size on happiness: evidence from adults in early and mid-adulthood in China," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Mesfin, Hiwot & Cecchi, Francesco & Nillesen, Eleonora & Tirivayi, Nyasha, 2022. "The effect of siblings’ sex ratio on physical capital, human capital, and gendered time use among adolescents in Ethiopia," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).

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