Accounting for Intergenerational Educational Immobility in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Abstract

This study investigates intergenerational educational immobility and its transmission channels in four developing countries: Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam. From data elicited throughout children’s childhood, we extract latent factors of children’s attributes and their environments. We decompose educational immobility by analyzing the extent to which these factors mediate intergenerational persistence. The findings show that relevant channels in developed countries are also important in these developing countries. Additionally, developing-country specific factors, such as starting a family while underage and performing child labor, play a role. The factors’ importance differs moderately between the countries. Other factors – most notably non-cognitive skills – play no role.