The marriage gap: Optimal aging and death in partnerships

Johannes Schünemann; Holger Strulik; Timo Trimborn

doi:10.1016/j.red.2019.09.004

The marriage gap: Optimal aging and death in partnerships

Johannes Schünemann^*, Holger Strulik, Timo Trimborn

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Economics and Business Economics

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

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Abstract

In this paper we explore how marriage affects longevity of men and women through income pooling and public-goods sharing as well as joint utility maximization of partners with different preferences and biology. We integrate joint decision making of couples into a biologically founded life-cycle model of health deficit accumulation and endogenous longevity, calibrate the model with U.S. data, and perform the counterfactual experiment of preventing the partnership. We elaborate four economic channels and find that, as singles, men live 8.5 months shorter and women 6 months longer. We conclude that about 25% of the marriage gain in longevity of men can be motivated by economic calculus while the marriage gain for women observed in the data is attributed to selection or other (non-standard economic) motives.

Original language	English
Journal	Review of Economic Dynamics
Volume	36
Pages (from-to)	158-176
Number of pages	19
ISSN	1094-2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.red.2019.09.004
Publication status	Published - Apr 2020

Keywords

Aging
Gender-specific preferences
Health
Longevity
Marriage gap

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10.1016/j.red.2019.09.004

Marriage_gap_Review_Economic_Dynamics_2020_AM (1)Accepted manuscript, 617 KBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

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title = "The marriage gap: Optimal aging and death in partnerships",

abstract = "In this paper we explore how marriage affects longevity of men and women through income pooling and public-goods sharing as well as joint utility maximization of partners with different preferences and biology. We integrate joint decision making of couples into a biologically founded life-cycle model of health deficit accumulation and endogenous longevity, calibrate the model with U.S. data, and perform the counterfactual experiment of preventing the partnership. We elaborate four economic channels and find that, as singles, men live 8.5 months shorter and women 6 months longer. We conclude that about 25% of the marriage gain in longevity of men can be motivated by economic calculus while the marriage gain for women observed in the data is attributed to selection or other (non-standard economic) motives.",

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T1 - The marriage gap

T2 - Optimal aging and death in partnerships

AU - Schünemann, Johannes

AU - Strulik, Holger

AU - Trimborn, Timo

PY - 2020/4

Y1 - 2020/4

N2 - In this paper we explore how marriage affects longevity of men and women through income pooling and public-goods sharing as well as joint utility maximization of partners with different preferences and biology. We integrate joint decision making of couples into a biologically founded life-cycle model of health deficit accumulation and endogenous longevity, calibrate the model with U.S. data, and perform the counterfactual experiment of preventing the partnership. We elaborate four economic channels and find that, as singles, men live 8.5 months shorter and women 6 months longer. We conclude that about 25% of the marriage gain in longevity of men can be motivated by economic calculus while the marriage gain for women observed in the data is attributed to selection or other (non-standard economic) motives.

AB - In this paper we explore how marriage affects longevity of men and women through income pooling and public-goods sharing as well as joint utility maximization of partners with different preferences and biology. We integrate joint decision making of couples into a biologically founded life-cycle model of health deficit accumulation and endogenous longevity, calibrate the model with U.S. data, and perform the counterfactual experiment of preventing the partnership. We elaborate four economic channels and find that, as singles, men live 8.5 months shorter and women 6 months longer. We conclude that about 25% of the marriage gain in longevity of men can be motivated by economic calculus while the marriage gain for women observed in the data is attributed to selection or other (non-standard economic) motives.

KW - Aging

KW - Gender-specific preferences

KW - Health

KW - Longevity

KW - Marriage gap

U2 - 10.1016/j.red.2019.09.004

DO - 10.1016/j.red.2019.09.004

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85072785918

SN - 1094-2025

VL - 36

SP - 158

EP - 176

JO - Review of Economic Dynamics

JF - Review of Economic Dynamics

ER -

The marriage gap: Optimal aging and death in partnerships

Abstract

Keywords

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