Research output per year
Research output per year
Simon Chang, Kamhon Kan, Xiaobo Zhang
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Using a natural experiment in Taiwan, we show that, for men, exposure to male-biased sex ratios at a marriageable age is associated with a greater likelihood of death in later life. In the late 1940s, more than half a million soldiers from mainland China retreated to Taiwan after a civil war and were initially subjected to a marriage ban. When the ban was lifted in 1959, the great influx of mostly male soldiers into the marriage market suddenly tipped the balance in favor of women. We have found that men subjected to this massive marriage market squeeze exhibited higher mortality rates at ages 50–64. We offer several possible explanations. Surprisingly, an elevated mortality rate, albeit of a much smaller magnitude, was also observed among the women of the relevant age groups. We show that this is likely driven by the widowhood effect, as women’s mortality rate increased after their husbands’ deaths.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 0420-10845R3 |
Pages (from-to) | 604-626 |
Number of pages | 23 |
Journal | The Journal of Human Resources |
Volume | 59 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Mar 2024 |
Research output: Working paper › Discussion paper