Can Inter-Caste Marriages Reduce Economic Inequalities in Child Nutrition in India? Evidence from Triangulation of Cross-sectional and Panel Data Analyses

Endogamous marriages in India reflect a socially segregated society based on religion and caste, perpetuating the existing social stratification and inequalities. Caste endogamy contributes to the unequal transferring of social capital and social endowments, thereby reproducing inequalities within and across generations. In this background, the study examined the question of whether inter-caste marriages contribute to reducing economic inequality in children’s nutrition. We triangulated analyses based on pooled microdata and macro-panel data compiled from the National Family Health Survey (2005–2021). The Wagstaff’s corrected concentration index, panel data random effects regression models, and pooled cross-sectional probit regression model have been used. Findings suggest the continued prevalence of caste-based assortative sorting in the Indian marriage market and wealth-based inequalities in child nutritional status, thereby indicating both strong caste endogamy and health inequalities. However, an increase in inter-caste marriage is associated with declining inequalities in the child nutrition indicators: stunting, wasting, and underweight. The pathway is established through the reduced economic heterogeneity in populations owing to inter-caste marital arrangements and a greater possibility of exchange of resources. Thus, we advance that intermarriages lessen caste inequalities in child nutrition in India by narrowing group differences in socio-economic status.