The More the Merrier? The Effect of Fertility Preference on Marriage Outcomes

This paper analyzes how fertility preference affects individuals' marriage outcomes. By using the selective Two-child Policy in China, which relaxed Han Chinese and only child's birth quota hence made them more attractive, I find that after the policy, the treatment group is more likely to marry same-type spouses to have more children. Moreover, to meet their fertility preference, Han Chinese and only child men searched longer and bought more expensive houses before marriage, and transferred more to their wives in terms of income and education.