We use armed conflict in Rwanda as a natural experiment to study the impact of a
decrease in the sex ratio on the marriage market. Combining detailed information on
conflict intensity with pre- and post-war individual-level data, we find several effects of
the shortage of middle-aged men in the marriage market. First, fewer men remained
single in the post-war period, while more middle-aged women did. Second, we find that
the age at first marriage increases for both women and men. Third, the share of informal
marriages increases among men and women of all ages, without registration or transfer of
bride price. Fourth, we find a rather large increase in the number of children born out-ofwedlock,
who – lacking customary and statutory land rights – are likely to add to the
number of landless youth. This finding raises concerns as unequal land access is said to
have contributed to the intensity of the genocide.