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Death and Development

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Author Info
Peter Lorentzen () (Graduate School of Business Stanford University)
John McMillan
Romain Wacziarg

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Abstract

Analyzing a variety of cross-national and sub-national data sources, we show that high adult mortality reduces economic growth by shortening time horizons. Higher adult mortality is associated with increased levels of risky behavior, higher fertility and lower investment in physical and human capital. Furthermore, the feedback effect from economic prosperity to better healthcare implies that mortality could be the source of a poverty-trap. In our regressions, adult mortality explains almost all of Africa's growth tragedy over the past forty years. Our analysis also supports grim forecasts of the long-run economic costs of the ongoing AIDS epidemic.

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File URL: http://www.stanford.edu/~wacziarg/downloads/death.pdf
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Society for Economic Dynamics in its series 2006 Meeting Papers with number 61.

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Date of creation: 03 Dec 2006
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Handle: RePEc:red:sed006:61

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Related research
Keywords: mortality fertility human capital growth investment

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Alesina, Alberto, et al, 2003. " Fractionalization," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 8(2), pages 155-94, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Raouf, BOUCEKKINE, 2007. "A theory of dynamics and inequalities under epidemics," Université catholique de Louvain, Département des Sciences Economiques Working Paper 2007022, Université catholique de Louvain, Département des Sciences Economiques. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Amparo Castello-Climent & Rafael Domenech, 2006. "Human Capital Inequality, Life Expectancy and Economic Growth," Working Papers 0604, International Economics Institute, University of Valencia. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Matthias Cinyabuguma & Louis Putterman, 2006. "Sub-Saharan Growth Surprises: Geography, Institutions And History in an all African Data Panel," Working Papers 2006-21, Brown University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  4. Moshe Hazan, 2006. "Longevity and Lifetime Labor Input: Data and Implications," DEGIT Conference Papers c011_065, DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Eytan Sheshinski, 2006. "Longevity and Aggregate Savings," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo GmbH. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. P R Agénor & K C Neanidis, 2006. "Corruption Clubs: The Allocation of Public Expenditure and Economic Growth," Centre for Growth and Business Cycle Research Discussion Paper Series 69, Economics, The Univeristy of Manchester. [Downloadable!]
  7. Dalton Conley & Gordon C. McCord & Jeffrey D. Sachs, 2007. "Africa's Lagging Demographic Transition: Evidence from Exogenous Impacts of Malaria Ecology and Agricultural Technology," NBER Working Papers 12892, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Clive Bell & Hans Gersbach, 2006. "Growth and Enduring Epidemic Diseases," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo GmbH. [Downloadable!]
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  9. Alan Martina, 2007. "A Class of Poverty Traps: A Theory and Empirical Tests," ANUCBE School of Economics Working Papers 2007-482, Australian National University, College of Business and Economics, School of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  10. Pierre-Richard Agénor, 2006. "A Theory of Infrastructure-led Development," Centre for Growth and Business Cycle Research Discussion Paper Series 83, Economics, The Univeristy of Manchester. [Downloadable!]
  11. Jocelyn E. Finlay, 2007. "The Role of Health in Economic Development," PGDA Working Papers 2107, Program on the Global Demography of Aging. [Downloadable!]
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