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Within marriage age gap across countries

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  • Feng, Ying
  • Ren, Jie

Abstract

The age gap within marriage is one form of the gender gap. This paper uses micro data from 89 countries from all income levels to document that men marry women younger than themselves in all countries, and the age gap decreases with development. We also show that the declining pattern is robust for both females and males after controlling for individual- and country-level characteristics.

Suggested Citation

  • Feng, Ying & Ren, Jie, 2022. "Within marriage age gap across countries," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 210(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:210:y:2022:i:c:s0165176521004468
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2021.110190
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Andrew Shephard, 2019. "Marriage market dynamics, gender, and the age gap," PIER Working Paper Archive 19-003, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania.
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    8. Melvyn G. Coles & Marco Francesconi, 2011. "On The Emergence Of Toyboys: The Timing Of Marriage With Aging And Uncertain Careers," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 52(3), pages 825-853, August.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Age gap in marriage; Development; Demographic transitions; Cross-country analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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