Gaps in education and marital dissolution: Evidence from India

Abstract India has had a low divorce rate only recently, but the divorce rate is rising following the international trend. The rising divorce rate has gained considerable attention among social scientists. The paper identifies gaps in spouses’ educational attainment as a potential cause of rising failed marriages in India. Using a nationally representative large survey dataset, namely the fourth round of the District Level Household Survey, we show that the likelihood of divorce and separation is higher among women who are comparatively more educated than their partners. Moreover, the likelihood increases as the positive education gap increases. The incidences of divorce are significant among those residing in rural areas, educated up to secondary and beyond, and unemployed despite being more educated than their husbands. Although the results show that women are gaining autonomy in deciding whether to move out of marriages, the government must provide free education for women, at least up to the secondary standard, as being more educated than their partner does not provide them the autonomy to dissolve their marriages unless they are educated at least up to secondary standard.