Public pensions and family dynamics: Eldercare, child investment, and son preference in rural China

Naijia Guo, Wei Huang and Ruixin Wang

Journal of Development Economics, 2025, vol. 172, issue C

Abstract: Using variations in the timing of the New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS) across rural Chinese counties, we examine its effects on eldercare mode, child investment, and son preference. Our findings are three-fold: (1) After the introduction of NRPS, married sons are less likely to live with and provide care for their parents, while married daughters show no significant change in their caregiving behavior; (2) Parents reduce the brideprice for their sons but not the dowry for their daughters; (3) The sex ratio at birth becomes more balanced, indicating a reduction in son preference. These results suggest that public pension programs can significantly influence traditional family dynamics, including eldercare modes and cultural norms around gender preference.

Keywords: Pension; Eldercare mode; Brideprice; Sex ratio; Son preference (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D10 H55 J10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:deveco:v:172:y:2025:i:c:s0304387824001391

DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2024.103390

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