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Farewell to the God of Plague: Estimating the effects of China's Universal Salt Iodization on educational outcomes

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  • Huang, Qingyang
  • Liu, Chang
  • Zhou, Li-An

Abstract

This paper estimates the effects of China's Universal Salt Iodization (USI) policy in 1994 – the largest nutrition intervention policy in human history – on children's later-life educational outcomes. Using population census data combined with county-level information, we apply a difference-in-differences strategy to compare the educational outcomes of cohorts born before and after USI across counties with different iodine deficiency disorder levels. Our results show that USI increased primary school enrollment by 0.6 percentage points. Further investigation suggests that girls and children born in rural areas benefit more from USI. The costs of USI almost evenly fell on China's iodine salt consumers through an in-price tax.

Suggested Citation

  • Huang, Qingyang & Liu, Chang & Zhou, Li-An, 2020. "Farewell to the God of Plague: Estimating the effects of China's Universal Salt Iodization on educational outcomes," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 20-36.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcecon:v:48:y:2020:i:1:p:20-36
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jce.2019.08.007
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    Cited by:

    1. Benjamin Ly Serena, 2022. "Cognitive consequences of iodine deficiency in adolescence: evidence from salt iodization in Denmark," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 124(3), pages 869-902, July.
    2. Huang, Wei & Liu, Hong, 2023. "Early childhood exposure to health insurance and adolescent outcomes: Evidence from rural China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    3. Tafesse, Wiktoria, 2022. "The effect of Universal Salt Iodization on cognitive test scores in rural India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    4. Jianhong Qi & Kam Ki Tang & Da Yin & Yong Zhao, 2020. "Remaking China’s Global Image with the Belt and Road Initiative: Is the Jury Out?," Discussion Papers Series 635, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Universal Salt Iodization; Iodine Deficiency Disorders; Fetal Origins Hypothesis; Educational Outcome;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • N35 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Asia including Middle East

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