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Education fever: Inequality, fertility and growth

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  • Gradstein, Mark

Abstract

Demand for skilled labor and social status accorded by educational achievements induce a race to acquire education, dubbed "education fever". In conjunction with credit market constraints and in the context of quantityquality tradeoff, this, in turn, may reduce fertility, especially in well-educated families, and create cross section inequality while limiting intergenerational mobility. The resulting inequality is persistent which, in turn, may have adverse implications for economic growth. It is argued that these phenomena are consistent with recent economic and social developments in China.

Suggested Citation

  • Gradstein, Mark, 2025. "Education fever: Inequality, fertility and growth," BOFIT Discussion Papers 12/2025, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:bofitp:333960
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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