BECE. Newsletter 

Vol.21, No.2, 2025, BECE 2045 

 

 

 

 

Gender Bias in Educational Investment among 

Chinese Rural Families: An Analysis Based on Data of 

Rural Multi-Child Households 

By Yan, J. & Xiao, T. 
Correspondence to: Tong Xiao, Capital University of Economics and Business, 

China. E-mail: xiao2011tong@126.com  

HINESE WOMEN have traditionally had fewer educational 

opportunities than their male counterparts, which has resulted in 

measurable gender disparities in socioeconomic status (SES) between the 

two groups. Despite that China’s implementation of the Compulsory 

Education Law and family planning policy have effectively mitigated its 

gender inequality in education, educational expenses remain a heavy burden 

for multi-child households in rural areas, where gender differences in 

educational input persist due to financial constraints and traditional bias. This 

study seeks to investigate the gender gaps in investment in education among 

Chinese rural families with multiple children and the underlying reasons, 

using data from the China Household Income Project (CHIP) 2018. 

Research Findings: 

 There were significant gender gaps in educational investment 

among Chinese rural households, and the gaps are heterogeneous 

in relation to birth order, with the largest ones occurring between 

the investment for the eldest sons and the eldest daughters. 

Compared to the eldest son, the eldest daughter was more likely 

to be deprived of educational opportunities in order to ensure the 

educational needs of her younger siblings. Yet, no significant 

difference in educational access existed between the youngest son 

and the youngest daughter. 

 The gender issue in educational investment was significantly 

more pronounced in regions with lower levels of public education 

expenditure and among rural families with low household 

incomes. 

 More noticeable gender disparities in educational investment 

existed in the regions with higher sex ratios at birth and stronger 

clan culture and among rural households with low-SES mothers, 

where the girls’ access to educational resources are more likely to 

be affected by birth order. 

C 

mailto:xiao2011tong@126.com


 

Vol.21, No.2, 2025, BECE 2046 

The study’ findings have implications for educational policies on 

alleviation of gender disparities by highlighting the importance of: (i) 

formulating more targeted educational subsidy strategies to ensure the rights 

to education of all rural children, regardless of their birth order; (ii) 

prioritizing funding for public education in underserved regions and 

providing low-cost, high-quality local schooling for rural families, 

particularly those impoverished ones; (iii) fostering legitimate values on 

education in the rural population to eliminate sextual discrimination in 

education and encouraging the establishment of girls’ schools in 

underdeveloped areas to counteract the influence of local traditions. 

 
Source: Consumer Economics, 2025; 2025(01):1-16.