The evolution of partner preferences: Evidence using matrimonial ads from Canada, France, India and the United States

Quentin Lippmann and Khushboo Surana

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2025, vol. 233, issue C

Abstract: Using the text from matrimonial ads, we assemble a novel data set to describe the evolution of partner preferences over time and space. Analyzing ads published in Canada, France and India between 1950 and 1995, we show that stated preferences for economic criteria have fallen sharply in favor of personality traits in the two Western countries while they remain the most prevalent in India. Using ads covering various regions from the US and Canada in 1995, we show that personality traits are consistently more demanded than economic criteria. We provide evidence that these results are unlikely to be driven by the composition effects over time, role of parents or changing social norms. We show that the changes over time are particularly strong for women and accompany narrowing gender gaps in labor force participation in Western countries. We discuss the implications for understanding the evolution of assortative mating over time.

Keywords: Family, Marriage, Preferences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J12 J16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:233:y:2025:i:c:s0167268125000708

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2025.106950

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