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Augustin Tapsoba (Toulouse School of Economics): Polygyny and the Economic Determinants of Family Formation in Sub-Saharan Africa 

Abstract: Young bachelors and older married men compete for brides in many areas of Sub- Saharan Africa, where polygyny is still practiced. This paper studies how local economic conditions affect the demand for first/unique wives compared to junior wives (second or higher order) and its impact on family formation. I find that the demand for junior wives is more sensitive to aggregate income shocks (rainfall and crop price shocks) in areas where the shadow price of marrying a junior wife is low. As a result, girls and young women exposed to negative shocks during their prime marriageable years are more likely to marry as first/unique wives of young men. Additionally, the higher elasticity in the demand for junior wives substantially mitigates the impact of aggregate income shocks on the age at which girls and young women marry and have their first child.