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Bequest division: The roles of parental motives and children’s gender composition
December 2026
Abstract: We examine whether unequal bequest divisions reflect gender bias in parents’ motives, that is, unequal perceptions of deservingness between daughters and sons. First, we conduct a vignette experiment in which a hypothetical parent allocates bequests under different motive scenarios between two children of randomised gender-deservingness configurations. Bequests are most unequally divided under an exchange motive. Across scenarios, respondents systematically favour daughters—rewarding deserving daughters more than equivalent sons. The highest bequest is assigned to a deserving daughter with a brother. These results highlight the importance of bequest motives in shaping bequest divisions, while also showing that their effects depend on gendered notions of deservingness. We complement this experimental evidence with observational evidence from actual estate divisions recorded in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. Consistent with the experimental findings, unequal bequest division is associated with differences in children’s caregiving responsibilities and incomes, and is more likely among families with mixed-gender children. While meritocratic considerations are often viewed as central to fairness preferences, we find limited evidence that they shape bequest division in the family.
| Type: | Journal article |
| Theme(s): | Wealth accumulation and wealth inequality Gender and family Survey experiments |
| Keywords: | altruism, bequest, deservingness, exchange motives, gender, intergenerational transfers, SHARE, vignette experiment |
| JEL Classification: | D31, D63, E62, H24, H53 |
| 10.1016/j.labeco.2026.102959 |
Reference
Lekfuangfu, W.N., Olivera, J. & Van Kerm, P. (2026), 'Bequest division: The roles of parental motives and children’s gender composition', Labour Economics, 10295.
@ARTICLE{pvk-2008,
Author = {Lekfuangfu, Warn N. and Olivera, Javier and Van Kerm, Philippe},
Title = {Bequest division: {T}he roles of parental motives and children's gender composition},
Journal = {Labour Economics},
Volume = {10295},
Month = dec,
Year = {2026}
}Download links
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Other versions
Lekfuangfu, W.N., Olivera, J. & Van Kerm, P. (2025), 'Bequest Division: The Roles of Parental Motives and Children’s Gender Composition', IZA Discussion Paper 17833, IZA Institute for the Study of Labor, Bonn, Germany.
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