Determinants of Household Expenditure on Education in Cambodia: Focusing on Children of Disadvantaged Backgrounds

Abstract

This paper provides empirical evidence on the spending behaviors of households with children with disabilities and households from ethnic minority backgrounds on investment in their children’s education in Cambodia. These groups are found to be even more vulnerable than girls in terms of access to educational services. Employing the nationally-representative Cambodian Socio-Economic Survey 2012, the study uses the tobit model. Results showed that urban location, income and parental education have a positive and significant effect on family’s expenditure on education. These effects increased with an increase in grade levels. Education spending on education for children with disabilities and for children among ethnic minority groups was far lower.

Keywords: Household expenditure, Disadvantaged backgrounds, Tobit