Height development of men and women from China, South Korea, and Taiwan during the rapid economic transformation period of the 1960s–1980s

Daniel Schwekendiek and Joerg Baten

Economics & Human Biology, 2019, vol. 34, issue C, 169-180

Abstract: We study height trends among Chinese, South Korean, and Taiwanese groups during the rapid economic growth period of the 1960s to the 1980s. Heights rose strongly as income grew. Did rapid income growth also cause a decline in gender inequality? Or did it rise because the gains were unevenly distributed? Gender inequality is particularly interesting given the traditionally strong son preference in the region. For mainland China, we find that gender inequality was relatively modest in the pre-reform period (before the 1980s). Especially in comparison to the early 20th century, female heights grew faster than male heights. In contrast, the 1980s transition period to an economic system with market elements was characterized by increasing gender inequality in China. This was the case to an even greater extent in South Korea, where gender dimorphism noticeably increased during the 1980s, paralleling a similar increase in sex-selective abortions. Moreover, we also study other inequality patterns in the three countries, focusing on socioeconomic, regional, and educational differences between groups.

Keywords: Anthropometry; East Asia; East Asian Social Survey (EASS); Economic development; Education; Gender inequality; Living conditions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I3 N3 N9 O1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:34:y:2019:i:c:p:169-180

DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2019.04.005

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