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How poverty alleviation improved girls’ school completion in rural China? The role of health

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Listed:
  • Dai, Tiantian
  • Jiang, Shenyi
  • Ma, Chao
  • Ming, Yang

Abstract

This paper examines how China's 8-7 Plan, a large-scale national poverty alleviation program, influenced educational attainment among rural girls. Using nationally representative household panel data and a difference-in-differences framework, we find that the policy significantly increased completion rates for primary and middle school, with the largest gains among girls from relatively better-off poor households. In contrast, high school completion declined, likely due to intra-household resource reallocation under persistent gender norms. Our mechanism analysis reveals that these gains were not driven by direct education spending or household income growth, but by improvements in child health and nutrition. These health improvements were facilitated by better access to clean water, improved sanitation, and greater household food production. This study highlights the importance of health based channels in shaping human capital and contributes new evidence on how poverty reduction programs can enhance educational outcomes through complementary non-educational investments.

Suggested Citation

  • Dai, Tiantian & Jiang, Shenyi & Ma, Chao & Ming, Yang, 2026. "How poverty alleviation improved girls’ school completion in rural China? The role of health," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecmode:v:158:y:2026:i:c:s0264999326000441
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econmod.2026.107515
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