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The national-integration effect of compulsory education: Evidence from Chinese minorities

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  • Hu, Zhi-An
  • Luo, Wei

Abstract

Can governments promote national integration through compulsory education? We examine this question in the context of China's Compulsory Education Law, which was initiated in 1986 and implemented across provinces in subsequent years. Exploiting variation in individual exposure to the policy during ages 6–15, we find that ethnic minorities with longer exposure were more likely to enter interethnic marriages. This effect is stronger in regions with lower residential segregation and among groups more affected by language unification. Minorities with longer exposure also tended to choose less ethnically distinctive names for their children, suggesting a degree of acculturation. Furthermore, we show that compulsory education fostered shared civic values and a strong sense of national identity among minority populations.

Suggested Citation

  • Hu, Zhi-An & Luo, Wei, 2026. "The national-integration effect of compulsory education: Evidence from Chinese minorities," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:deveco:v:178:y:2026:i:c:s0304387825001336
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2025.103582
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    JEL classification:

    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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