Young Women in Cities: Urbanization and Gender-biased Migration
64 Pages Posted: 1 Aug 2023 Last revised: 8 Jan 2024
Date Written: August 25, 2024
Abstract
Young women outnumber young men in cities in many countries during periods of economic growth and urbanization. This gender imbalance among young urbanites is more pronounced in larger cities. We use the gradual rollout of Special Economic Zones across China as a quasi-experiment to establish the causal impact of urbanization on gender-differentiated incentives to migrate. We highlight the role of the marriage market in increasing rural women's chance of marrying and marrying up in urban areas during rapid urbanization.
Keywords: urbanization, migration, gender imbalance, marriage market
JEL Classification: O15, J12
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