Sibling Differences in School Attendance and Child Labour in Ethiopia

This paper examines the effects of sibling composition on children's school attendance and participation in market and domestic work in Ethiopia. The major finding is that earlier-born males in rural areas are more likely to attend school than their younger siblings. A similar effect is apparent for rural females and urban children as well, though it is not as robust to varying estimation methods and sensitivity tests. In both areas, the chances of participation in market work are higher for older children, particularly males, while in domestic work, which remains largely the domain of female children, being an earlier-born girl also increases the odds of working. These effects of birth order on work are largely unaffected by the gender of the younger siblings or by the age difference with the last child.