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Conflict, Educational Attainment, and Structural Transformation: La Violencia in Colombia

Author

Listed:
  • Leopoldo Fergusson
  • Ana María Ibáñez
  • Juan Felipe Riaño

Abstract

We examine the long-term impact of violence on educational attainment, with evidence from Colombia’s La Violencia, a period of intense political violence in the mid-twentieth century. We find that individuals exposed to violence during and especially before their schooling years experience a significant and economically meaningful decrease in years of schooling. Exploring consequences beyond human capital accumulation, we show that exposed cohorts also engage in economic sectors that typically employ less qualified labor and are less likely to transition to jobs in manufacturing and services (relative to agriculture). Violence thus appears to place obstacles in the process of transitioning to more modern sectors, potentially affecting the structural transformation that may occur as income increases.

Suggested Citation

  • Leopoldo Fergusson & Ana María Ibáñez & Juan Felipe Riaño, 2020. "Conflict, Educational Attainment, and Structural Transformation: La Violencia in Colombia," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 69(1), pages 335-371.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:ecdecc:doi:10.1086/702995
    DOI: 10.1086/702995
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    Cited by:

    1. Montaño-Bardales, Juan Fernando & Palacios, Paola, 2025. "Educational outcomes in times of conflict and post-conflict," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    2. Duque, Valentina, 2019. "Violence and Children’s Education: Evidence from Administrative Data," Working Papers 2019-16, University of Sydney, School of Economics.
    3. Klaus W. Deininger & Daniel Ayalew Ali & Kussul,Nataliia & Lemoine,Guido & Shelestov,Andrii, 2024. "Micro-Level Impacts of the War on Ukraine’s Agriculture Sector : Distinguishing Local and National Effects over Time," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10869, The World Bank.
    4. Mounu Prem & Juan F. Vargas & Olga Namen, 2023. "The Human Capital Peace Dividend," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 58(3), pages 962-1002.
    5. Barrado, Beatriz & Fernández-Gutiérrez, Marcos & Gimenez, Gregorio, 2024. "Exposure to drug trafficking and school truancy: Empirical evidence from Costa Rica," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    6. Vesco, Paola & Baliki, Ghassan & Brück, Tilman & Döring, Stefan & Eriksson, Anneli & Fjelde, Hanne & Guha-Sapir, Debarati & Hall, Jonathan & Knutsen, Carl Henrik & Leis, Maxine R. & Mueller, Hannes & , 2025. "The impacts of armed conflict on human development: A review of the literature," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    7. Simon Bilo & Mohamed Ihsan Ajwad & Ebtesam AlAnsari & Lama AlHumaidan & Faleh AlRashidi, 2024. "Estimating Long-Term Impacts of Wartime Schooling Disruptions on Private Returns to Schooling in Kuwait," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 111-152, March.
    8. Deininger, Klaus W. & Ali, Daniel Ayalew & Nataliia, Kussul & Lemoine, Guido & Shelestov, Andrii & Shumilo, Leonid, 2025. "Using Remotely Sensed Data to Assess War-Induced Damage to Agricultural Cultivation : Evidence from Ukraine," Policy Research Working Paper Series 11221, The World Bank.
    9. Deininger, Klaus & Ali, Daniel Ayalew & Fang, Ming, 2025. "Impact of the Russian invasion on Ukrainian small and medium farmers’ productivity," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    10. Klaus W. Deininger & Daniel Ayalew Ali, 2024. "Using Satellite Imagery and a Farmer Registry to Assess Agricultural Support in Conflict Settings : The Case of the Producer Support Grant Program in Ukraine," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10912, The World Bank.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions
    • D78 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Positive Analysis of Policy Formulation and Implementation
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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