The Effect of Compulsory Education on Age at First Marriage and Age at First Birth: Evidence from a Difference-in-Discontinuity Design

Abstract Using a difference-in-discontinuity research design, this study estimates the causal impact of Turkey's 1997 extension of compulsory schooling—from five to eight years—on girls’ age at first marriage and age at first birth. In contrast to previous studies of the reform, this design uses a narrower bandwidth to minimize bias, eliminates general effects associated with being born in January or December, and includes all relevant cohorts in the analysis to produce more accurate and population-representative estimates. The findings show that the increase in mandatory schooling substantially raises girls’ educational attainment and improves their labor market outcomes, primarily by reducing their employment in the agricultural sector. Higher educational attainment is also associated with a later age at first marriage and a decline in teenage childbirth. However, the effect on age at first birth disappears after age 19, consistent with the increase in high school graduation rates driven by the reform.