Determinants of Savings in Female and Male-Headed Households in Mexico

Isalia Nava-Bolaños, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Flor Brown-Grossman, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Lilia Domínguez-Villalobos, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

There are gender differences in savings patterns; a review of descriptive statistics indicates that female-headed households tend to be at a disadvantage. The objective of this investigation was to review which factors are determinants of the decision to save in female and male-headed households in Mexico. To this end, a logistic regression was formulated using information from the National Survey on Household Income and Expenditures 2008. Independent variables considered include education level, number of workers; demographic factors like marital status, family types, presence of babies, children in schooling ages and elderly; hours spent on housework; credits, government and household transferences, access to social security and remittances. This paper found that there are significant differences in the effects of the independent variables upon the probability of household savings in women and men-headed households. The most important difference was the education level with a major impact on households with a feminine head.