Son Preference and Elder Sisters’ Subjective Well-being: Inequality in Intra-household Resource Allocation

Addressing gender inequality to enhance women’s welfare remains a critical global issue. Son preference, a significant dimension of such inequality, deserves in-depth study for its impact on girls’ subjective well-being. From the lens of intra-household resource allocation, using China Family Panel Studies (2010–2018), this research explores the relationship between son preference and elder sisters’ life satisfaction by comparing those with a brother versus a sister. We find elder sisters with a brother report 0.113 lower life satisfaction (on a 5-point scale), equivalent to a reduction of roughly 6% of a standard deviation. This effect is pronounced in rural areas, among parents with lower education, and when the age gap is under five years. Our analysis suggests that unequal intra-household resource allocation—manifested through these girls receiving 0.244 fewer years of education and facing higher undernutrition risks—may help explain this observed relationship. Our study contributes to understanding of intra-household gender inequality, offering potential policy insights.