The dragon cohort of Hong Kong: traditional beliefs, demographics, and education

Yan Lau ()
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Yan Lau: Federal Trade Commission

Journal of Population Economics, 2019, vol. 32, issue 1, No 7, 219-246

Abstract: Abstract In Hong Kong, parental preference for babies born in the Chinese Zodiac dragon year causes spikes in fertility. The larger number of “dragon babies” born in 1988 resulted in a schooling cohort which was 5% larger on average every school-year. Using an innovative identification strategy that avoids selection bias, I find that dragon cohort students increase their time spent studying math by an average of 0.26 hours per week (a 9% increase relative to the mean). These effort responses are strongest for girls and for students whose parents do not have post-secondary education. Being in the dragon cohort also results in higher math scores. These empirical findings are consistent with competitive behavior changes of dragon cohort members responding to the presence of additional students. I cannot, however, rule out other possible mechanisms, such as cooperation, peer quality, and educational investments, acting in conjunction to improve academic outcomes. This paper is the first to document the test score and effort impacts of such zodiac cohorts; its findings highlight the importance of cultural forces in determining population changes, and their potential to influence education and other societal outcomes.

Keywords: Education; Chinese zodiac; Dragon year; Schooling cohort; Fertility; Birth rate (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I20 J13 Z10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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DOI: 10.1007/s00148-018-0711-2

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