Last updated December 2010
Authors:
Monica Das Gupta,
Avraham Ebenstein, Ethan Jennings Sharygin
Abstract:
Fertility decline has fueled a sharp increase in the proportion of “missing girls” in China, so an increasing share of
males will fail to marry, and will face old age without the support normally provided by wives and children. This
paper shows that historically, China has had nearly universal marriage for women and a very competitive market for
men. Less educated men experience higher rates of bachelorhood while women favor men with better prospects,
migrating if needed from poorer to wealthier areas. The authors examine the anticipated effects of this combination
of bride shortage and hypergamy, for different regions in China.