China’s accession to the WTO created new economic opportunities in certain cities. A shift-share identification strategy shows that residents of adjacent rural areas migrated in and advanced economically. Longitudinal panel data on children reveals that their sons benefit, but counter-intuitively, daughters suffer worse mental and physical health, complete fewer years of schooling, and remain poor later in life. We explore why, and learn that hukou policy that restricts migrant children’s access to urban schools is a factor. Triple difference research designs reveal that migrant parents become discontinuously more likely to leave middle-school-aged daughters (but not sons) behind in rural areas – often without either parent present – exactly when and where hukou policy makes schooling more expensive. 69 million Chinese children are left behind in rural areas, and girls are harmed even when trade liberalization increases family income.

Written with X. Gao, W. Liang, A. M. Mobarak, R. Song

https://spinup-000d1a-wp-offload-media.s3.amazonaws.com/faculty/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2024/04/China_Children_paper_reversed_Dec_23__2023.pdf