Will Bride Price Affect Household Savings: Evidence from Rural China
利用中国劳动力动态调查数据，研究发现彩礼上涨显著促进农村家庭储蓄，其机制在于彩礼兼具消费和投资属性，且这一效应在子女较少的家庭中更强。
Does the increasing bride price affect household savings behaviour? This study investigates the relationship and the mechanism between the increase in the bride price and rural household savings behaviour using data from the China Labour-force Dynamics Survey (CLDS). The findings reveal that the bride price has a significant positive effect on rural household savings. Rooted in the traditional view of ‘raising a child to provide for the aged’, the paper identifies the bride price endowed with dual attributes, consumption and investment, as potential pathways through which the bride price stimulates household savings potential. Furthermore, the positive effect of a high bride price on rural household savings is stronger among families with fewer children.