Intergenerational Educational Persistence among Daughters: Evidence from India

We examine educational transmission between fathers (mothers) and daughters in India for daughters born during 1962–1991. We find that educational persistence, as measured by the regression coefficient of father’s (mother’s) education as a predictor of daughter’s education, has declined. However, the correlation between educational attainment of daughters and fathers (mothers), another commonly used measure of persistence, suggests only a marginal decline. Further we decompose the intergenerational correlation. We also find that the probability of a daughter attaining senior secondary or above education (top end of educational distribution) is not only positively associated with father’s (mother’s) education levels but the gaps in those probabilities have not declined over time. Similarly, there is no convergence over time in the probability of a daughter attaining senior secondary or above education with the same level of father’s (mother’s) education for daughters belonging to Higher Hindu Castes and disadvantaged groups such as Other Backward Castes or Scheduled Castes/Tribes. Although conditional on having same educated fathers, sons are more likely to achieve senior secondary or above education in each cohort compared to daughters, the gap in those probabilities has declined over time.