Sibship Size and Educational Attainment in Indonesia: A Cohort Perspective

Vida Maralani, University of California, Los Angeles

Numerous studies of educational attainment in the United States show that education is negatively correlated with sibship size. The evidence from the developing world, however, is mixed with some societies having a negative association and others a positive one. These differences are often explained by differences in development levels, household production, wealth flows, and the relative role of the nuclear family versus larger kinship networks. In this context Indonesia is an interesting case study because it has experienced dramatic demographic and economic changes in recent decades. This paper examines the relationship between family structure and educational attainment in Indonesia using a cohort perspective. Analyses show that earlier cohorts in Indonesia experienced a positive effect of larger sibships while recent cohorts experience a negative effect of larger families. The analysis explores how sibling effects have changed over time and how these vary by family structure, sibship composition, and different educational levels.