Bride Price and the Well-Being of Women

Abstract

Abstract Bride price, a payment from the groom to the bride’s family at the time of marriage, is a common cultural practice in many African societies. We examine the relationship between the bride price amount and a range of outcomes using a sample of 317 couples from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Motivated by common concerns associated with high bride price, we examine whether payment of a higher bride price is associated with earlier marriage and higher fertility; a greater acceptance of domestic violence; decreased ability of the wife to leave her husband; lower-quality marriages; and lower levels of happiness for the wife. We find evidence that women for whom a high bride price was paid are less accepting of domestic violence and are happier.