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The Economics of Early Marriage: Causes, Consequences, and Policy Solutions

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Handbook of Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics

Abstract

There is growing consensus among researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders that the practice of female early marriage has adverse consequences for the women who experience them, their families, and the wider population. While it is evident that the practice of female early marriage is entwined with longstanding customs and traditions, there is also good reason to believe that economic factors are important drivers behind current behavior and underpin a range of solutions being explored by policymakers. This chapter provides an economic perspective on the issue. It examines the literature for theories and evidence relating to the economic causes and consequences of female early marriage and the efficacy of alternative policies, and highlights current knowledge gaps.

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Acknowledgment

Responsible Section Editor: M Niaz Asadullah.

The article has benefitted from valuable comments of the editor and anonymous referees. There is no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Economics, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK

    Zaki Wahhaj

Authors
  1. Zaki Wahhaj
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Correspondence to Zaki Wahhaj .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. UNU-MERIT & Princeton University, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Klaus F. Zimmermann

Section Editor information

  1. Faculty Of Economics And Administration, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    M. Niaz Asadullah

  2. Centre on Skills, Knowledge & Organisational Performance, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    M. Niaz Asadullah

  3. Dept of Economics, University of Reading, Reading, UK

    M. Niaz Asadullah

  4. School of Education, Environment and Development (SEED),, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

    M. Niaz Asadullah

  5. IZA Institute of Labor Economics, Bonn, Germany

    M. Niaz Asadullah

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Wahhaj, Z. (2022). The Economics of Early Marriage: Causes, Consequences, and Policy Solutions. In: Zimmermann, K.F. (eds) Handbook of Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57365-6_67-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57365-6_67-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-57365-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-57365-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Economics and FinanceReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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