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Air pollution and infant mortality: Evidence from China

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  • Wang, Linfeng
  • Shi, Tie
  • Chen, Hanyi

Abstract

Using a newly assembled prefecture-city level dataset from 2004 to 2015, this paper examines the impact of air pollution on child mortality in China. To identify the causal effect, we exploit ventilation coefficient as the instrument for urban air pollution. We find that a 10 μg/m3 increase in annual PM2.5 concentration causes 163 infant deaths per 100,000 live births per year in a city.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Linfeng & Shi, Tie & Chen, Hanyi, 2023. "Air pollution and infant mortality: Evidence from China," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:49:y:2023:i:c:s1570677x23000102
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2023.101229
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Air pollution; PM2.5 concentration; Infant mortality; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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