by Bailin Wu
ABSTRACT
This study examines how family size affects gender inequality in education under China’s One-Child Policy (OCP). Using the establishment of family planning organizations and policy-related fines as instrumental variables, the analysis shows that each additional child increases the gender gap in schooling by 0.2-0.6 years. The results confirm that reducing the number of children significantly narrows gender disparities in education. Moreover, the effect is much stronger in rural areas, where son preference remains deeply rooted, than in urban areas. These findings demonstrate that the OCP, by limiting family size, unintentionally enhanced gender equality in education. The evidence supports the quality-quantity trade-off and son-preference theories, revealing that smaller families enable more equitable parental investment in children’s education.
