Be rich, grow tall? Testing whether parental social origin is associated with filial body height using two German student cohorts

Various theoretical arguments suggest that parental social origin is positively associated with the body height of their children. Using two cohorts from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), which provide prospective panel data covering ages eight to 19, we empirically test this relationship. To capture social origin comprehensively, we operationalize it as a multidimensional construct incorporating economic, educational, and occupational characteristics of both parents. In cross-sectional models with repeated observations of the same individuals, we find that boys from socially advantaged families are, on average, taller. For girls, no association between social origin and height is observed in these models. To examine whether children from socially advantaged families grow faster than their peers, we estimate panel regression models with individual fixed effects. These models indicate that socially advantaged students experience significantly faster growth, a finding that holds for both boys and girls. Finally, using data from the final measurement wave of the secondary school cohort, when respondents are approximately 19 years old, we show that adult height remains associated with parental social origin. Among boys, the height difference between individuals from the least and most advantaged families is approximately 1.2 cm; among girls, the corresponding difference is about 1.3 cm. Taken together, these results demonstrate a persistent association between parental social origin and offspring body height in contemporary Germany.