Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2020.1746190
Do house prices squeeze marriages in China?
Chi-Wei Su
Khalid Khan
Lin-Na Hao
Ran Tao
Adelina Dumitrescu Peculea
Abstract
This study reviews the threshold effect of house prices (HPs) on
marriage (MR) in China by utilizing a panel threshold regression.
The findings indicate that HPs have a positive impact on MR
when the price is below the threshold value. Homeownership is
an extremely important factor in MR in China, and MR without
housing is considered incomplete. However, HPs have a negative
effect on MR when the price is higher than the threshold value.
Unemployment and female education have a negative effect on
MR, while GDP per capita has a positive effect. These results are
supported by the duration model, which shows that as HPs
increase, the rate of MR decreases. The study makes a contribution
on the asymmetric impact of high HPs on MR in China in the
two regimes. The paper offers insight into the economic outlook
on HPs and MR driven by societal and institutional changes, such
as privatization and state ownership of enterprises, that have
changed marriage behavior. Increasing HPs slow MR and may
have a more serious impact on China than on other countries.
The government should balance housing supply and demand by
enhancing antimonopoly supervision in the private market. The
government should establish policy measures to meet housing
demand and create incentives to wed, which can relieve competition
in marriage markets. Diversified investment, in turn, can control
HPs.
Keywords
Marriage; Housing Prices; Nonlinear Relationship; Panel Threshold
Hrčak ID:
254457
URI
Publication date:
9.2.2021.
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