Gender Segregation in Childhood Friendships and the Gender-Equality Paradox

Manual Bagues and Natalia Zinovyeva
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Manual Bagues: University of Warwick, CEPR and IZA
Natalia Zinovyeva: University of Warwick, IZA and CAGE

The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) from University of Warwick, Department of Economics

Abstract: Gender segregation in higher education persists across developed countries and is paradoxically stronger in wealthier, more gender-equal societies. Using data from over 500,000 children across 37 Western countries, we show that this segregation has roots in childhood. We document a strong correlation at the country level between segregation in higher education and in childhood friendships. Longitudinal data from 10,000 British households further shows that children with fewer opposite-sex friends at age 7 are significantly more likely to select gender-dominated educational subjects a decade later. The stronger segregation observed in richer countries seems to reflect economic prosperity rather than backlash against gender equality: while children from wealthier households report fewer cross-gender friendships, those whose parents hold more gender-egalitarian views have more opposite-sex friends. We identify two mechanisms explaining this income gradient : affluent families’ structured activities that emphasize children’s self-expression foster gender-segregated environments, and higher-income children’s personality traits reduce demand for cross-gender friendships.

Keywords: cross-gender friendships; gender equality paradox; women in STEM JEL Codes: J16; I21; Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wrk:warwec:1569

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