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An economic model of early marriage

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  • Wahhaj, Zaki

Abstract

To explain female adolescent marriage patterns around the world, we develop a marriage market model with asymmetric information about prospective marriage partners, and a noisy signal about the bride’s quality during an engagement. In equilibrium, there is a negative relationship between the age and perceived quality of women on the marriage market and, consistent with available evidence, older brides make higher net marriage payments. The model also implies path dependence in the evolution of adolescent marriage practices over time and persistent effects on marriage practices from transitory shocks. Model simulations show interventions which increase the opportunity cost of early marriage attenuates the association between bride quality and age, triggering a virtuous cycle of marriage postponement.

Suggested Citation

  • Wahhaj, Zaki, 2018. "An economic model of early marriage," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 147-176.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:152:y:2018:i:c:p:147-176
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2018.06.001
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    Cited by:

    1. Siwan Anderson & Chris Bidner, 2021. "An Institutional Perspective on the Economics of the Family," Discussion Papers dp21-14, Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University.
    2. Asadullah, M. Niaz & Mansoor, Nazia & Randazzo, Teresa & Wahhaj, Zaki, 2021. "Is son preference disappearing from Bangladesh?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    3. Wu, Jiabin & Zhang, Hanzhe, 2020. "Preference Evolution in Different Marriage Markets," Working Papers 2020-1, Michigan State University, Department of Economics.
    4. Amirapu, Amrit & Asadullah, M Niaz & Wahhaj, Zaki, 2022. "Can Child Marriage Law Affect Attitudes and Behaviour in the Absence of Strict Enforcement? Experimental Evidence from Bangladesh," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1107, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    5. Saqib Jafarey & Ram Mainali & Gabriel Montes‐Rojas, 2020. "Age at marriage, social norms, and female education in Nepal," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(3), pages 878-909, August.
    6. Wu, Jiabin & Zhang, Hanzhe, 2021. "Preference evolution in different matching markets," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    7. Lorenz, Aaron & Lee, Yu Na, 2023. "On Rice and Weddings: Impacts of Food Assistance on Child Marriage in Indonesia," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335954, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Marriage market; Gender; Adolescent development; Fertility; Dowry;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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