Gender differences in household education expenditure in Malaysia

Sarimah Surianshah and Sarah Bridges (2025) Gender differences in household education expenditure in Malaysia. International Journal of Social Economics. pp. 1-17. ISSN 0306-8293

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Abstract

Purpose – The objective of this study is to examine gender differences in the allocation of household expenditure on education in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – This study examines the determinants of expenditure on education using a double hurdle model, where the decision to incur education expenditure is modelled first and followed by the decision on how much to spend on education. Findings – The results show evidence of significant gender differences in the allocation of expenditure on education. For young children (4–12 years) and adult (18–23 years), this bias tends to favour females, while for secondary-aged children, the bias is pro-male. Practical implications – These findings may reflect a cultural shift in attitudes towards female education, although the effects are likely to be compounded by a lower completion rate of boys in upper secondary education, a growing concern that cannot be ignored by the government, policymakers or households. Originality/value – This study utilises the Malaysia Household Expenditure Survey (HES) 2022 dataset to make two important contributions. First, conditional on enrolment, it investigates the extent to which there are gender differences at the household level in the allocation of expenditure at every level of education. Second, it examines the model by region and includes intergenerational effects in examining its indirect effects on the gender gap.

Item Type:	Article
Keyword:	Gender differences, Expenditure, Education, Culture shift
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HB Economic theory. Demography > HB1-3840 Economic theory. Demography > HB522-715 Income. Factor shares > HB615-715 Entrepreneurship. Risk and uncertainty. Property H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman > HQ1-2044 The Family. Marriage. Women > HQ1101-2030.7 Women. Feminism
Department:	FACULTY > Faculty of Science and Natural Resources
Depositing User:	SITI AZIZAH BINTI IDRIS -
Date Deposited:	24 Jun 2025 15:04
Last Modified:	24 Jun 2025 15:04
URI:	https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/44242

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