Marriage market responses in the wake of a natural disaster in India

This paper examines the impact of 2001 Gujarat earthquake on age at marriage and other assortative matching outcomes. Using 2004–05 wave India Human Development Survey employing a difference-in-differences strategy, we document that reduced for both men women decreased likelihood marrying into wealthier households. Additionally, find no changes in by educational status or intra-caste out-of-village marriages. The results are driven districts were severely affected terms deaths destruction. Our conjecture is negative economic shock pushed parents to marry off their daughters early save dowry expenditures. We confirm this underlying mechanism using proxy payments. highlight how institution can induce long-lasting demographic after natural disaster.