Effect of marriage registration on fertility and intrahousehold distribution in Thailand

Abstract Research has shown that changes in the marriage and family laws generally affect the formation, welfare distribution, and dissolution of marriage. However, little is known about the effects of constituting state‐sanctioned marriage as opposed to informal marriage, where these laws do not fully apply. The present paper studied the effects of formal marriage registration on fertility outcomes and intrahousehold distribution among married couples in Thailand. Using data from the 1993 Survey for the Status of Women and Fertility in Thailand (SWAFT), it was found that marriage registration increases the number of children in a family and enhances women's contribution to and control of household finances. These results suggest that formal marriage registration promotes spousal cooperation and increases the welfare of women, supporting recent policy efforts in many developing countries in the development and expansion of vital registration systems.