Married men in China are 6.5 times more likely to cheat when their wives are more educated than they are, particularly when the wife holds higher credentials but earns less, a new study has found.

The study, led by two professors from Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. and Fudan University in Shanghai, is the first to examine how mismatches in both education and income shape marriage dynamics. The findings were published on Nov. 14 in the peer-reviewed journal Social Science Research.

The study comes amid renewed debate in China over infidelity and shifting marriage norms, with rising divorce rates fueling public concern about cheating and marital stability.

Researchers analyzed responses from 4,006 married adults in the 2020 China Private Life Survey (CPLS), a national social science survey initiated by Peking University in Beijing and Fudan University. The sample included 1,631 men and 2,375 women. 

Anyone reporting two or more sexual partners in the previous year were classified as having engaged in “sexual infidelity,” though the authors note the metric may not fully capture cases such as separation and open relationships.

The study found that men’s likelihood of cheating was tied to gaps in education and income, while women’s infidelity showed no clear patterns. 

In terms of education alone, men cheated least when couples had similar schooling. The risk surged 6.5 times when husbands were less educated than their wives, and doubled times when husbands were more educated.

Since 2009, women have outnumbered men in both undergraduate and postgraduate programs at Chinese universities, challenging traditional norms that women should “marry up” in education and social status, the study notes. One prior study found that the share of women who married less-educated men rose from 6.9% among those born in 1950 to 1954, to 25.8% among those born in 1990 to 1994.

But the new research suggests patriarchal norms remain, and that closing the income gap inside marriage is proving far harder than closing the education gap. 

While women may “marry down” in terms of education, they still “marry up” in terms of income. In the sample studied, husbands earning more income than their wives is more common (56%) than possessing higher levels of education than their wives (10%).

To explore what researchers call the “trade-off” between education and income in marriage, the researchers analyzed both factors together.

The findings show that the highest risk of male infidelity — 66% — occurred when the wife was more educated but the husband earned more. The researchers posit that men may “compensate” for this educational gap by using their economic power to reassert dominance at home and reinforce “the traditional patriarchal order,” raising the likelihood of infidelity.

When wives surpassed husbands in both education and income, however, the risk of male infidelity dropped to nearly zero. Researchers interpret this as husbands becoming more dependent and avoiding the “calculated” risk of losing financial support.

However, when couples had equal education, a husband’s higher income was linked to lower infidelity risk. Researchers say this aligns with traditional expectations, enhancing marital compatibility.

“Our study underscores the pervasive influence of structural forces and cultural norms that permeate private lives,” and better education among Chinese women does not “necessarily translate into” more equal marriages, the researchers conclude.

Editor: Marianne Gunnarsson.

(Header image: Visuals from Gary Waters/Fanatic Studio/VCG, reedited by Sixth Tone)