Fortnightly Seminar Series

“Determinants of Spousal Age Difference: A study on Indian sub-continent”

Speaker: Mr. Praveen

Abstract: Using three waves of National sample survey organisation (NSSO) unit-level data, an attempt has been made to determine the factors behind the non-declining spousal age difference in the Indian population. The analysis indicates that the marital age gap shares a positive relationship with economic development (proxied by monthly per capita consumption expenditure) and a negative association with modernity or social development (proxied by female education level). These effects are significant in both the rural and urban sectors. The result implies that the income effect can bring marriage market equilibrium but at the cost of high intra-household inequality, while the substitution effect, (though desirable in terms of bringing social change) can act as a deterrent in obtaining the marriage market equilibrium.