The Economics of Marriage in China: How hukou and migration systems leave rural China men single

Abstract

Contrary to a view that the number of unmarried women in the world is increasing due to the extinction of ‘good’ men, China today faces the converse: More than 24 million Chinese men of marrying age could find themselves without spouses in 2020... Another researcher quoted by the newspaper, Wang Yuesheng, said men in poorer parts of China would be forced to accept marriages late in life or remain single for life... ~ Discovery News ( 2010 ) This paper f ocus es on the economic analysis of the impact of migration and the hukou system on the increased number of unmarried men in rural areas . We find that due to cultural issues as well as comparative advantage in home production versus income earning, women are more likely to leave rural areas of China.