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Reducing child marriages through CCTs: Evidence from a large-scale policy intervention in Indonesia

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  • Priebe, Jan
  • Sumarto, Sudarno

Abstract

There is limited empirical evidence on whether poverty-targeted conditional cash transfers (CCTs) can be an effective tool in reducing child marriages. Employing a Fuzzy Regression Discontinuity design that uses administrative roll-out data matched to the government’s poverty census and targeting database in Indonesia, we estimate that the country’s flagship CCT (PKH) reduced child marriages of girls in rural Indonesia by about 3.5 percentage points (about 40 percent). We conclude that CCTs may help break the persistent practice of child marriages.

Suggested Citation

  • Priebe, Jan & Sumarto, Sudarno, 2025. "Reducing child marriages through CCTs: Evidence from a large-scale policy intervention in Indonesia," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 242(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:242:y:2025:i:c:s0047272725000040
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2025.105306
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    CCT; Child marriage; Poverty; Indonesia;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure

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