Table 2

Balance Test: First-Son versus First-Daughter Families

		Mean
First son	0.518 (0.500)
Father’s age	39.52 (5.719)	39.54 (5.769)	39.51 (5.666)	0.030 [0.173]	0.655
Father’s schooling years	9.170 (3.313)	9.149 (3.263)	9.193 (3.367)	−0.044 [0.104]	0.530
Father’s hukou (urban = 1)	0.227 (0.419)	0.226 (0.418)	0.229 (0.420)	−0.003 [0.014]	0.845
Father’s political status (CCP = 1)	0.114 (0.318)	0.104 (0.305)	0.126 (0.332)	−0.022 [0.010]	0.129
Mother’s age	37.62 (5.815)	37.74 (5.852)	37.50 (5.775)	0.240 [0.176]	0.331
Mother’s schooling years	8.347 (3.659)	8.328 (3.548)	8.367 (3.776)	−0.039 [0.115]	0.820
Mother’s hukou (urban = 1)	0.215 (0.411)	0.217 (0.412)	0.213 (0.409)	0.004 [0.013]	0.132
Mother’s political status (CCP = 1)	0.031 (0.173)	0.031 (0.173)	0.031 (0.174)	−0.000 [0.006]	0.882
First child’s age	11.68 (4.105)	11.69 (4.057)	11.67 (4.158)	0.020 [0.127]	0.856
Region of residence (urban = 1)	0.485 (0.500)	0.476 (0.500)	0.496 (0.500)	−0.020 [0.015]	0.319
Ethnicity (minority = 1)	0.128 (0.334)	0.126 (0.332)	0.130 (0.336)	−0.004 [0.010]	0.640
Observations	4,363	2,246	2,117

Mean

All

First Son

First Daughter

Difference, SD

p-Value (H₁: Diff. ≠ 0)

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

First son

0.518

(0.500)

Father’s age

39.52

(5.719)

39.54

(5.769)

39.51

(5.666)

0.030

[0.173]

0.655

Father’s schooling years

9.170

(3.313)

9.149

(3.263)

9.193

(3.367)

−0.044

[0.104]

0.530

Father’s hukou (urban = 1)

0.227

(0.419)

0.226

(0.418)

0.229

(0.420)

−0.003

[0.014]

0.845

Father’s political status (CCP = 1)

0.114

(0.318)

0.104

(0.305)

0.126

(0.332)

−0.022

[0.010]

0.129

Mother’s age

37.62

(5.815)

37.74

(5.852)

37.50

(5.775)

0.240

[0.176]

0.331

Mother’s schooling years

8.347

(3.659)

8.328

(3.548)

8.367

(3.776)

−0.039

[0.115]

0.820

Mother’s hukou (urban = 1)

0.215

(0.411)

0.217

(0.412)

0.213

(0.409)

0.004

[0.013]

0.132

Mother’s political status (CCP = 1)

0.031

(0.173)

0.031

(0.173)

0.031

(0.174)

−0.000

[0.006]

0.882

First child’s age

11.68

(4.105)

11.69

(4.057)

11.67

(4.158)

0.020

[0.127]

0.856

Region of residence (urban = 1)

0.485

(0.500)

0.476

(0.500)

0.496

(0.500)

−0.020

[0.015]

0.319

Ethnicity (minority = 1)

0.128

(0.334)

0.126

(0.332)

0.130

(0.336)

−0.004

[0.010]

0.640

Observations

4,363

2,246

2,117

Notes: Data are from the 2013 CHFS. Statistics are based on our sample of CHFS households. Statistics are weighted by CHFS sampling weights. Standard deviations are given in parentheses. Standard errors are given in square brackets.