Celebrating legacy: The intergenerational transmission of reproduction and human capital in Ming-Qing Chinese families

Sijie Hu

No 1572, GLO Discussion Paper Series from Global Labor Organization (GLO)

Abstract: In unified growth models, the evolving nexus between population dynamics and technological change is key to achieving sustained economic growth. This paper uses genealogical records of 23,449 males and their spouses to investigate this interplay-the intergenerational transmission of reproduction and human capital-within six Chinese lineages from 1300 to 1920. Examining the relationship between reproduction and long-run reproductive success, the empirical results reveal an optimal level of reproduction, demonstrating a strong Darwinian trade-off: high reproduction in each generation did not consistently lead to long-term reproductive success. Further analysis of the mechanisms is consistent with a Beckerian trade-off, highlighting the potential costs of excessive reproduction through contrasting outcomes in sons' quality: having more brothers exhibited little apparent impact on marriageability but may have been associated with lower human capital. Together, these findings contribute to a deeper understanding of micro-demographic dynamics in pre-modern China and the persistence of Malthusian constraints.

Keywords: Reproduction; Long-run reproductive success; Child quantity-quality trade-off; Ming-Qing China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I25 J13 N35 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:glodps:1572

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