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Fertility and wealth in early colonial India: Evidence from widow suicides (satis) in Bengal

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  • Bandyopadhyay, Sanghamitra
  • Green, Elliott

Abstract

Previously evidence on the pre-modern relationship between wealth and fertility almost entirely relied upon data from Europe. Using British colonial records from early 19th-century India on widow suicides (satis), we find a robust positive relationship between income and fertility.

Suggested Citation

  • Bandyopadhyay, Sanghamitra & Green, Elliott, 2013. "Fertility and wealth in early colonial India: Evidence from widow suicides (satis) in Bengal," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 120(2), pages 302-304.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:120:y:2013:i:2:p:302-304
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2013.04.046
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Hu, Sijie, 2020. "Survival of the Confucians: social status and fertility in China, 1400-1900," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 104040, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Carla Blázquez-Fernández & David Cantarero-Prieto & Marta Pascual-Sáez, 2017. "What Does It Drive the Relationship Between Suicides and Economic Conditions? New Evidence from Spain," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 130(3), pages 1087-1099, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fertility; Wealth; Early colonial India;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • N35 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Asia including Middle East
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution

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