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Living longer: The effect of the Mexican conditional cash transfer program on elderly mortality

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  • Barham, Tania
  • Rowberry, Jacob

Abstract

With both an aging population and a transition from communicable to chronic diseases, the health of the elderly is a growing issue in many developing countries. Conditional cash transfer programs are usually thought to benefit young people, but may also benefit other age groups since some programs require that all household members have regular preventive health check-ups. This paper exploits the phasing-in of the Mexican conditional cash transfer program, Progresa, between 1997 and 2000, and shows a 4% decline in average, municipality-level mortality for people aged 65 and older. The program not only reduced deaths due to more traditional infectious diseases, but also diabetes related deaths. Given that diabetes deaths are a leading cause of death in Mexico, and in the top 10 causes of death in many high- and middle-income countries, this is an important finding.

Suggested Citation

  • Barham, Tania & Rowberry, Jacob, 2013. "Living longer: The effect of the Mexican conditional cash transfer program on elderly mortality," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 226-236.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:deveco:v:105:y:2013:i:c:p:226-236
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2013.08.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hoddinott, John & Skoufias, Emmanuel, 2004. "The Impact of PROGRESA on Food Consumption," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 53(1), pages 37-61, October.
    2. Jere R. Behrman & Susan W. Parker, 2011. "The Impact of the PROGRESA/Oportunidades Conditional Cash Transfer Program on Health and Related Outcomes for the Aging in Mexico," PIER Working Paper Archive 11-032, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania.
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    5. Guy Stecklov & Paul Winters & Marco Stampini & Benjamin Davis, 2005. "Do conditional cash transfers influence migration? A study using experimental data from the Mexican progresa program," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 42(4), pages 769-790, November.
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    1. Achyuta Adhvaryu & Teresa Molina & Anant Nyshadham & Jorge Tamayo, 2024. "Helping Children Catch Up: Early Life Shocks and the PROGRESA Experiment," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 134(657), pages 1-22.
    2. Jose Valderrama & Javier Olivera, 2023. "The effects of social pensions on mortality among the extreme poor elderly," LISER Working Paper Series 2023-05, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER).
    3. Ariadna Jou & Tommy Morgan, 2025. "Do Relief Programs Compensate For Longevity Losses From Reccesions? Evidence From The Great Depression And The New Deal," Working Papers wp562, University of Chile, Department of Economics.
    4. Benjamine Dejardin & Sofía Fernández Guerrico, 2021. "The effects of trade-induced worker displacement on health and mortality in Mexico," Dulbea Policy Brief 21.10, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    5. Fang, Guanfu & Tang, Tianyu, 2025. "Old age allowances and cognitive function: A quasi-experimental study of China's oldest-old," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    6. Fontana, Stefania & Guccio, Calogero & Pignataro, Giacomo & Romeo, Domenica, 2026. "Cash transfers and health outcomes: Evidence from Italian municipalities," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    7. Hamid Noghanibehambari & Jason Fletcher, 2025. "In Money, We Survive: The Effects of Social Security Retirement Income on Longevity," NBER Working Papers 34199, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Enrico Miglino & Nicolás Navarrete H. & Gonzalo Navarrete H. & Pablo Navarrete H., 2023. "Health Effects of Increasing Income for the Elderly: Evidence from a Chilean Pension Program," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 15(1), pages 370-393, February.
    9. Aguila, Emma & Dow, William H. & Menares, Felipe & Parker, Susan W. & Peniche, Jorge & Ryu, Soomin, 2024. "Do conditional cash transfers reduce hypertension?," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    10. Malavasi, Chiara & Ye, Han, 2024. "Live Longer and Healthier: Impact of Pension Income for Low-Income Retirees," VfS Annual Conference 2024 (Berlin): Upcoming Labor Market Challenges 302374, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    11. Fernández Guerrico, Sofía, 2021. "The effects of trade-induced worker displacement on health and mortality in Mexico," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    12. repec:bon:boncrc:crctr224_2024_514 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Avitabile, Ciro, 2021. "Spillovers and Social Interaction Effects in the Demand for Preventive Healthcare: Evidence from the PROGRESA program," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    14. Clotilde Mahé & Philipp Hessel, 2022. "School-age exposure to conditional cash transfers and adult mental health: Evidence from Mexico’s Progresa," Documentos de trabajo 20155, Escuela de Gobierno - Universidad de los Andes.
    15. Alexander Gelber & Timothy Moore & Zhuan Pei & Alexander Strand, 2023. "Disability Insurance Income Saves Lives," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 131(11), pages 3156-3185.
    16. Mussa DEME & Md Abdul BARI & Md Monzur MORSHED & Md. Jahedul ISLAM & Ghulam Dastgir KHAN, 2024. "Old Age Allowance and Its Implications for Household Food Expenditure and Farming Investment: Evidence from Bangladesh," RAIS Journal for Social Sciences, Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies, vol. 8(2), pages 1-11, November.
    17. Rosenberg, Molly & Beidelman, Erika & Chen, Xiwei & Canning, David & Kobayashi, Lindsay & Kahn, Kathleen & Pettifor, Audrey & Kabudula, Chodziwadziwa Whiteson, 2023. "The impact of a randomized cash transfer intervention on mortality of adult household members in rural South Africa, 2011–2022," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 324(C).

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    JEL classification:

    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy

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