Impact of Changes in Marriage Law: Implications for Fertility and School Enrollment

Prashant Bharadwaj

Journal of Human Resources, 2015, vol. 50, issue 3, 614-654

Abstract: Does the postponement of marriage affect fertility and investment in human capital? I study this question in the context of a 1957 amendment to the Mississippi marriage law that was aimed at delaying the age of marriage; changes included raising the minimum age for men and women, parental consent requirements, compulsory blood tests, and proof of age. Using a difference- in-differences design at the county level, I find that, overall, marriages per 1,000 in the population in Mississippi and its neighboring counties decreased by nearly 75 percent; the crude birth rate decreased between 2 and 6 percent; and school enrollment increased by 3 percent after the law was enacted (by 1960). An unintended consequence of the law change was that illegitimate births among young black mothers increased by 7 percent. I show that changes in labor market conditions during this period cannot explain the changes in marriages, births, and enrollment. I conclude that stricter marriage- related regulations that lead to a delay in marriage can postpone fertility and increase school enrollment.

Date: 2015
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