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Hong Kong wives say no to a big family—educational pairings and fertility in Hong Kong

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 July 2022

Skylar Biyang Sun  and
Xiaohang Zhao Open the ORCID record for Xiaohang Zhao [Opens in a new window]
Skylar Biyang Sun
Affiliation:
School of International Development and Cooperation, University of International Business and Economics, No. 10, Huixin Dongjie, Beijing, Chaoyang District, China
Xiaohang Zhao*
Affiliation:
National Institute of Social Development, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Science and Research Building, No. 5, Jianguomennei Street, Beijing 100732, China
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: xiaohangzhao510@gmail.com
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Abstract

We used the 2016 Hong Kong Census data and the diagonal reference model to investigate the effects of partners' educational pairings on fertility in Hong Kong. Our findings suggest a negative relationship between couples' educational achievements and their fertility. Moreover, males' educational attainment is more consequential of whether having children or not and both males' and females' educational attainments are determinants of the number of children to raise. In addition, the more educated a wife is relative to her husband, the less likely the couple is to have children. Once these educationally hypogamous couples have at least one child, they tend to have fewer children than their homogamous counterparts. By contrast, couples with a relatively more educated male are more likely to have children and tend to rear more children than those in educationally homogamous marriages.

Keywords

diagonal reference modeleducational pairingfertilityHong Kong

JEL classification

N35: Asia including Middle East J12: Marriage • Marital Dissolution • Family Structure • Domestic Abuse J13: Fertility • Family Planning • Child Care • Children • Youth J16: Economics of Gender • Non-labor Discrimination
Type
Research Paper
Information
Journal of Demographic Economics , First View , pp. 1 - 37
Copyright
Copyright © Université catholique de Louvain 2022

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