The Economics of Dowry and Brideprice
Siwan Anderson
Payments between families at the time of marriage have existed throughout history most developed countries and are currently pervasive in many areas developing world. These payments can be substantial enough to affect welfare women a society's distribution wealth. Recent estimates document transfers per amounting four six times annual household income. This paper first establishes some basic facts about prevalence magnitude payments. It then discusses how such patterns vary across depending upon economic conditions, societal structures, institutions, family characteristics. Marriage evolved within societies over time: periods, risen sharply; cases, shifted from grooms' side brides', vice versa; sometimes, property rights shift marrying partners parental generations. The second part this literature devoted explaining these facts.
Journal of Economic Perspectives