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Family Planning And Women'S Educational Attainment: Evidence From The One‐Child Policy

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  • Xuan Jiang

Abstract

This paper exploits China's one‐child policy (OCP) to study the relationship between fertility and educational attainment of the mothers of China's “sibling‐less generation.” I take two difference‐in‐differences approaches to estimate the OCP's effect on women's education: one compares gender difference among the ethnic majority group and the other compares ethnicity differences between ethnic majority women and ethnic minority women. I also explore the heterogeneity of the policy's effects by parent's status at the Communist Party. I find that the OCP has a positive and significant effect on women's education and explains about half of the increase in educational attainment for women born between 1960 and 1980. Their increased educational attainment associates with delayed entry into first marriage, delayed entry to parenthood and increased labor supply. (JEL I20, J13, J16, J18)

Suggested Citation

  • Xuan Jiang, 2020. "Family Planning And Women'S Educational Attainment: Evidence From The One‐Child Policy," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 38(3), pages 530-545, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:coecpo:v:38:y:2020:i:3:p:530-545
    DOI: 10.1111/coep.12462
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Bansak, Cynthia & Jiang, Xuan & Yang, Guanyi, 2020. "Sibling Spillover in Rural China: A Story of Sisters and Daughters," IZA Discussion Papers 13127, IZA Network @ LISER.
    2. In Hyee Hwang & Semee Yoon, 2025. "Aspirational Revolution or Aspiration Failure? Gendered Effect of Household Wealth on Educational Aspirations in China," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 37(2), pages 521-539, March.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy

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