The effect of siblings’ sex ratio on physical capital, human capital, and gendered time use among adolescents in Ethiopia

Hiwot Mesfin, Francesco Cecchi, Eleonora Nillesen and Nyasha Tirivayi

Economics & Human Biology, 2022, vol. 47, issue C

Abstract: We examine the role of siblings’ sex ratio on adolescents’ physical and human capital development, as well as gendered time allocation using data from the Young Lives project in Ethiopia. We use BMI-for-age and Weight-for-age to measure physical capital and grade attainment and scores in Mathematics and English tests as human capital indicators. Gendered time use is proxied by the hours per day the adolescent spends doing traditionally female-specific chores. Our identification strategy relies on the absence of sex-selective reproduction in our study area which implies that for a given number of siblings, their sex ratio should be exogenous. Our results show that having relatively more brothers than sisters increases both physical and human capital for adolescents, typically with a stronger effect for boys. Yet it also increases girls’ time spent on traditionally female-specific tasks, especially in the rural areas. This points to a complex relationship between siblings’ sex composition and long-term life outcomes for women.

Keywords: Siblings; Sex ratio; Physical capital; Human capital; Gendered time allocation; Adolescents; Ethiopia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J13 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:47:y:2022:i:c:s1570677x22000788

DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2022.101182

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