The effects of son preference on children’s education: evidence from South Korea

Abstract

This study explores the impact of predetermined parental preferences, specifically son preference, on the educational outcomes of their children. Leveraging the unique conditions arising from South Korea’s mid-1980s population control policies and access to ultrasound tests for sex identification, we identify inherent son preference. During this period, parents facing disadvantages for having more than one child could give a subsequent birth to a son due to aids in ultrasound test. Consequently, those with strong son preference revealed their preference toward a son by adopting a behavior known as the son-preferring fertility stopping rule. By defining parents exhibiting this behavior as our treatment group, we estimate that female children born within this context are less likely to achieve college education. Our findings show that female children born into son-preferring families are 66 percentage points less likely to attain a college degree compared to their male counterparts.