The national-integration effect of compulsory education: Evidence from Chinese minorities

Zhi-An Hu and Wei Luo

Journal of Development Economics, 2026, vol. 178, issue C

Abstract: Can governments promote national integration through compulsory education? We examine this question in the context of China's Compulsory Education Law, which was initiated in 1986 and implemented across provinces in subsequent years. Exploiting variation in individual exposure to the policy during ages 6–15, we find that ethnic minorities with longer exposure were more likely to enter interethnic marriages. This effect is stronger in regions with lower residential segregation and among groups more affected by language unification. Minorities with longer exposure also tended to choose less ethnically distinctive names for their children, suggesting a degree of acculturation. Furthermore, we show that compulsory education fostered shared civic values and a strong sense of national identity among minority populations.

Keywords: National integration; Compulsory education; Intermarriage; Identity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I25 J12 J15 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:deveco:v:178:y:2026:i:c:s0304387825001336

DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2025.103582

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