Work

Higher education, lower satisfaction: hypogamy and traditional norms in Japan

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This paper examines whether traditional gender norms are associated with well-being penalties for the rising share of women who are more educated than their husbands (hypogamy). Using panel data from the Japanese Panel Survey of Consumers (JPSC) covering the period of 1993 to 2020, the results show that women in hypogamous marriages report lower life satisfaction than other married women. The negative association is less pronounced for more recent marriage cohorts, as well as for women with less traditional norms. Moreover, the association shows stronger negative well-being implications for hypogamous women whose intra-household role is not in line with norm-based expectations.

Source: Journal of Population Economics

DOI: 10.1007/s00148-026-01184-w

Author: Björn Becker

Institutions: Institute for Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union, Universität Trier

Language: English

Topic: Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics

Subfield: Gender Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Gender equality

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,190