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Spousal age difference by education in Latin America. The case of Bolivia, Ecuador and Uruguay

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between education and the age gap between spouses in heterosexual unions. The study also examines how this association has changed over time in different cohorts, especially among women, in the context of educational expansion in Latin America. The research used the data collected from census rounds conducted between 1970 and 2010 in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Uruguay. The sample included men and women aged between 25 to 29. The findings reveal that there was no significant decrease in the age difference throughout the cohorts for both men and women. However, a negative relationship was observed between the spousal age difference and educational level in women. On the other hand, men showed greater heterogeneity between countries.

Keywords:
Assortative mating; Spousal age gap; Union formation; Latin America

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