Skill Formation with Siblings

Alessandro Toppeta

No 12736, CESifo Working Paper Series from CESifo

Abstract: This paper estimates a structural model of skill formation for children who grow up with siblings, introducing a novel variable, the "sibling bond," which captures how well siblings get along. Using data from the Millennium Cohort Study in the United Kingdom, I construct this measure from information on the frequency and quality of sibling interactions, such as enjoying playtime together and teasing each other. Descriptive evidence shows that a stronger sibling bond is associated with better child outcomes during adolescence. The structural estimates are consistent with the sibling bond being a productive input in the skill formation of both younger and older siblings, alongside parent-child interactions.

Keywords: human capital; skills; siblings (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I24 I28 J13 J24 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12736

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