Reproducibility package for The Pink Tax: Gender Norms And Rental Housing For Single Women In India
Reference ID
RR_IND_2026_745
Author(s)
Geetika Nagpal, Alejandro Molnar, Forhad Shilpi
Collections
Metadata
Created on
Oct 21, 2026
Last modified
Oct 27, 2026
Page views
16
Downloads
3
Overview
Abstract
We document a novel gender “pink tax” in the housing market for singles in India. Leveraging detailed data from India’s two largest online property listing portals, covering more than 230 cities, we find that rent for shared housing accommodation listed for women is 6-8% higher than that for men, after controlling for an extensive set of housing arrangements, amenities, and granular neighborhood fixed effects. We find similar gendered housing premiums in property listings data from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and in household survey data on actual rents in India. From a decomposition analysis, we find that about half of the gap is due to supply-side costs of renting to women and the remaining to demand-side sorting. The within-building gap is large among locally rooted small operators who face greater reputational burden induced by gender norms but disappears among large professional providers. On the demand side, sorting pattern and higher rental premium paid by students also point to the importance of conservative gender norms. Utilizing measures of ancestral and contemporary norms, we find a larger gap in places where gender norms are more restrictive.
Reproducibility Package
Scripts
File name
RR_IND_2026_745
Zip package
RR_IND_2026_745.zip
Title
Reproducibility package for The Pink Tax: Gender Norms And Rental Housing For Single Women In India
Date
2026-10
Dependencies
Stata dependencies are listed in the ado folder.
Instructions
See README in reproducibility package.
Notes
Computational reproducibility verified by Development Impact (DECDI) Analytics team, World Bank.
Source code repository
| Repository name | URI |
|---|---|
| Reproducible Research Repository (World Bank) | https://reproducibility.worldbank.org |
Reproducibility
Technology environment
Paper exhibits were reproduced on a computer with the following specifications:
- OS: macOS Tahoe 26.6.2
- Processor: Apple M4
- Memory: 16.0 GB
Technology requirements
Run time: ~25 minutes
Reproduction instructions
To reproduce the findings in this paper, a replicator must:
- Secure Access to Data: Access the datasets not included in the package. See the Datasets section for more details.
- Run the Package:
- Update the working directory in line 20 of the do-file
0_run_all, and run it.
Since not all the data is included, the package includes the results produced by replicators. These files can be used to review the results presented in the paper.
Data
Datasets
Name
Ancestral Characteristics Database of Modern Populations
Note
File location: data/raw/social_norms/Ancestral_Characteristics_Database_Language_Level/EthnoAtlas_Ethnologue16_baseline_by_language.dta and data/raw/social_norms/Ancestral_Characteristics_Database_Language_Level/Ethnologue_16_shapefile/.
The database maps ethnographic variables from the Ethnographic Atlas onto Ethnologue language groups; its construction is described in Giuliano, P., and N. Nunn. 2018. "Ancestral Characteristics of Modern Populations." Economic History of Developing Regions 33(1): 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/20780389.2018.1435267
Access policy
Data is publicly available and included in the reproducibility package.
License
CC BY-NC 4.0
License URL
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Data URL
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13319191
Citation
Murdock, G. P., R. Textor, H. Barry III, D. R. White, J. P. Gray, and W. T. Divale. 1999. "Ethnographic Atlas" [dataset]. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13319191
Name
Census of India, 2011
Note
File location: data/raw/social_norms/census/2011/. Tables B-01, C-08, F-01, F-09, C-02, C-01, D-05.
Access policy
Data is publicly available but does not allow redistribution and is not included in the reproducibility package.
License
Terms and Conditions of the Census of India website
License URL
https://censusindia.gov.in/census.website/en/node/288
Data URL
https://censusindia.gov.in/census.website/data/census-tables
Citation
Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. 2011. "Census of India" [dataset]. https://censusindia.gov.in/census.website/data/census-tables. Accessed February 2024.
Name
National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019-21
Note
File location: data/raw/social_norms/dhs/2019-21/IAIR7EDT/IAIR7EFL.DTA. Free registration and an approved data request are required. For more details, refer to the README file.
Access policy
Data access requires purchase or human approval and is not included in the reproducibility package.
License
DHS Program Data Use Terms
License URL
https://dhsprogram.com/data/terms-of-use.cfm
Data URL
https://dhsprogram.com/data/available-datasets.cfm
Citation
International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) and ICF. 2021. "National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019-21: India" [dataset]. Mumbai: IIPS. https://dhsprogram.com/data/available-datasets.cfm. Accessed March 2023.
Name
Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) district codes to National Informatics Centre (NIC) boundary crosswalk
Note
File location: data/processed/social_norms/match_shp_cen91_dhs98.xlsx. Sheet match_dhs19_nic19 maps DHS-2019 state and district codes and names to National Informatics Centre 2019 boundary codes.
Access policy
Data access requires purchase or human approval and is not included in the reproducibility package.
Citation
Authors' compilation. Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) district codes to National Informatics Centre (NIC) boundary crosswalk [dataset]. Based on DHS 2019-21 district identifiers and NIC 2019 district boundary codes.
Name
Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES)
Note
File location: data/raw/NSSO/HCES_24/hces24_lvl_{01,02,03,09,15}.txt. Portal registration is required to download the microdata; reference ID DDI-IND-MOSPI-NSS-HCES23-24; Survey period August 2023-July 2024.
Access policy
Data access requires purchase or human approval and is not included in the reproducibility package.
License
National Statistics Office of India Term of Use
License URL
https://microdata.gov.in/NADA/index.php/home/terms-of-use
Data URL
https://microdata.gov.in/NADA/index.php/catalog/237/get-microdata
Citation
National Sample Survey Office (NSS), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). 2025. "Household Consumption Expenditure Survey: 2023-24" [dataset]. DDI-IND-MOSPI-NSS-HCES23-24. https://microdata.gov.in/NADA/index.php/catalog/237. Accessed January 2025.
Name
Rental listing platform data, India
Note
File location: data/raw/real_estate/PG/*_cleaned.dta (de-identified listings) and data/processed/real_estate/PG/*_for_regressions.dta (analysis extracts built from them). A replicator can request the data by emailing the authors (aimolnar@gmail.com, gnagpal@worldbank.org, fshilpi@worldbank.org).
Access policy
Data access was granted directly to the study authors by the data owners/managers. It was obtained with a custom data license that does not allow for redistribution and it is not included in the reproducibility package.
Citation
Online property listing platforms. 2025. "Rental listing data, India" [dataset]. Unpublished data. Accessed April 2025.
Name
Rental listing platform data, Bangladesh (Platform B) and Sri Lanka (Platform I)
Note
File location: data/processed/real_estate/B/1_individual_listing_thru_2024_12_31.rentals.dta (Platform B, Bangladesh) and data/processed/real_estate/B/3_individual_listing_thru_2024_12_31.rentals.dta (Platform I, Sri Lanka). Note that both files sit in the B/ folder despite the platform letters. A replicator can request the data by emailing the authors (aimolnar@gmail.com, gnagpal@worldbank.org, fshilpi@worldbank.org).
Access policy
Data access was granted directly to the study authors by the data owners/managers. It was obtained with a custom data license that does not allow for redistribution and it is not included in the reproducibility package.
Citation
Online property listing platforms. 2025. "Rental listing data, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka" [dataset]. Unpublished data. Accessed May 2025.
Name
SafetiPin Street Safety Audit Data
Note
File location: data/raw/safetipin/safetipin_{blr,delhi,hyd,kolkata}_a4ls1.v3.dbf. Street safety audits for Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Kolkata. To request access, email Rithvika Rajiv at rithvika.rajiv@safetipin.com. A Data User Agreement is signed before data is shared.
Access policy
Data access was granted directly to the study authors by the data owners/managers. It was obtained with a custom data license that does not allow for redistribution and it is not included in the reproducibility package.
License
Safetipin Terms and Conditions
License URL
https://safetipin.com/site/termsConditions/
Data URL
https://safetipin.com/
Citation
SafetiPin. 2022. "Street Safety Audit Data: Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata" [dataset]. Unpublished data. Accessed April 2022.
Name
Neighborhood market and place-tag outputs
Note
File location: data/processed/markets/gtag_a4ls1.dta and data/processed/poi/final.with_spatial_labels.dta, both read by 4_figures.do. Derived from Google POI matching and GHSL population rasters; the Google Maps terms of service constrain redistribution. For further detail, contact the authors (aimolnar@gmail.com, gnagpal@worldbank.org, fshilpi@worldbank.org).
Access policy
Data is publicly available but does not allow redistribution and it is not included in the reproducibility package.
License
Google Maps/Google Earth Additional Terms of Service
License URL
https://www.google.com/help/terms_maps/
Citation
Authors' compilation. 2025. Neighborhood market and place-tag outputs [dataset]. Based on Google Points Of Interests (POI) matching and the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) Population Raster.
Name
Census District Boundaries, 2011
Note
File location: gis/admin/census/2011_Dist/ (shapefile set). District names and extents are derived from the Census of India Administrative Atlas 2011; taluk boundaries come from GeoCommons and Bhuvan.
Access policy
Data is publicly available and included in the reproducibility package.
License
CC BY 2.5 India
License URL
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/in/
Data URL
https://github.com/datameet/maps/tree/master/Districts/Census_2011
Citation
DataMeet Community Maps Project. 2011. "Census 2011 district boundaries" [shapefile]. https://github.com/datameet/maps/tree/master/Districts/Census_2011. Accessed March 2021.
Data statement
The reproducibility package relies on three types of data: open, limited-access and restricted data. For the source, access type, file location, and citation of each dataset, refer to the Datasets section and the README file.
Description
Output
Type
Working Paper
Title
The Pink Tax: Gender Norms And Rental Housing For Single Women In India
Description
Policy Research Working Paper (PRWP)
Authors
| Author | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|
| Geetika Nagpal | World Bank | gnagpal@worldbank.org |
| Alejandro Molnar | World Bank | aimolnar@worldbank.org |
| Forhad Shilpi | World Bank | fshilpi@worldbank.org |
Date of production
2026-10-13
Scope and coverage
Geographic locations
| Location | Code |
|---|---|
| India | IND |
Keywords
Housing
Gender Gaps
Digital Platforms
India
Topics
Disclaimer
Disclaimer
The materials in the reproducibility packages are distributed as they were prepared by the staff of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this event do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Bank, the Executive Directors of the World Bank, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the materials included in the reproducibility package.
Access and rights
License
| Name | URI |
|---|---|
| MIT License | https://opensource.org/license/mit |
| World Bank IGO Rider | https://github.com/worldbank/metadata-editor/blob/main/WB-IGO-RIDER.md |
Contacts
Contacts
| Name | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|
| Geetika Nagpal | World Bank | gnagpal@worldbank.org |
| Reproducibility WBG | World Bank | reproducibility@worldbank.org |
Information on metadata
Producers
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reproducibility WBG | DECDI | World Bank - Development Impact Department | Verification and preparation of metadata |
Date of Production
2026-10-13
Document version
1