Analysis of Determinants of Chinese Women's Education Level: based on China CGSS survey

Abstract

With the promulgation of China's compulsory education law in 1986, and the development of China's economy and society, gender inequality in education in China is on a downward trend, but women are still at a distinct disadvantage in the education process. Education is a key way to improve the quality of human resources, while the accumulation of human resources is a decisive factor in achieving sustained economic growth and industrial development, as well as an important path to improving the quality of family life. To investigate how compulsory education, personal characteristics, and family background affect women's educational level, this research was conducted on women born after 1972 in China. The study used data from the China General Social Survey (CGSS) for the years 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2021. The research models were multiple regression models, and the empirical analysis methods utilized the Ordinary least squares（OLS) and Ordered Probit. From the analysis results, compulsory education, year of birth, family economic class, parents' education level, and parents' occupation have positive and significant effects on women's education level, while patriarchal ideology and number of siblings have negative and significant effects on women's education level. In terms of region, compulsory education has a greater effect on females in eastern regions than in non-eastern regions. In terms of household registration, compulsory education had a greater impact on females with rural household registration than on females with urban household registration. The findings of this study suggest that by guaranteeing women's right to education, improving women's educational level and reasonably allocating educational resources, we can achieve gender equality in education, promote human capital accumulation and foster sustainable economic and social development.