SMU SOE Seminar Series (August 26, 2025): Educational Sorting in Marriage Across Countries

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ABSTRACT

Using household data from 86 countries, we document that educational assortative mating declines with economic development. To interpret this pattern, we develop a general accounting framework based on geographic constraints in meeting opportunities within a country. The model allows us to estimate the relative likelihood of individuals meeting others with the same education level. We find that poorer economies have stronger regional segregation in education and more limited meetings between individuals from different regions. Both factors reduce cross-education meetings in low-income countries, leading to higher assortative mating and greater inequality.

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