Paying to tie the knot: Does education make marriage more expensive? Evidence from Jordan

Purpose This study examines the relationship between educational attainment and the cost of marriage in Jordan, exploring how bride education affects groom expenditures on wedding-related items such as ceremonies, dowries, and gold payments. Design/methodology/approach The analysis uses two waves (2010 and 2016) of the Jordan Labour Market Panel Survey (JLMPS). It employs several econometric techniques, including ordinary least squares, instrumental variables (IV) estimation, Heckman's model, double machine learning and IV quantile regression. The bride's parental education is used as an instrument to address endogeneity concerns. Findings The results indicate that higher educational attainment has a significant impact on marriage-related expenditures. This effect is powerful in urban areas and wealthy households, where education likely serves as a signal of socioeconomic status in marriage markets. The impact is similar for couples marrying after age 25 and in more recent marriage cohorts (2010s), indicating that the economic role of education in marriage decisions has grown over time. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by using nationally representative data and rigorous causal inference methods to uncover a growing link between education and marriage costs in a Middle Eastern context, offering new insights into how socioeconomic factors shape marriage dynamics.