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The effects of universal free lunch provision on student achievement: Evidence from South Korea

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  • Kim, Yoonjung

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of the Universal Free Lunch Program (UFLP) on student achievement in South Korea. I leverage the staggered rollout of the UFLP across South Korean provinces and employ difference-in-differences strategies to estimate the causal effects of the program. Taking advantage of rich school-level data, I find that providing a free lunch to all students leads to improvements in academic achievement on average. I also test for heterogeneous effects and find that the benefits of the UFLP appear universally across different baseline participation rates in the means-tested lunch subsidy. After exploring numerous potential mechanisms, I find suggestive evidence that the nutritional channel is effectively absent. Instead, the findings suggest that increased household investment in education—evidenced by increased participation in and spending on academic after-school programs—is a key pathway underlying the achievement gains. These results suggest that parents redirected the saved lunch fees toward educational investment, highlighting the importance of labels attached to public assistance.

Suggested Citation

  • Kim, Yoonjung, 2025. "The effects of universal free lunch provision on student achievement: Evidence from South Korea," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 238(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:238:y:2025:i:c:s016726812500280x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107161
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • H42 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Publicly Provided Private Goods
    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education
    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • I22 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Educational Finance; Financial Aid
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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