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Why are pollution damages lower in developed countries? Insights from high income, high-particulate matter Hong Kong

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  • Colmer, Jonathan
  • Lin, Dajun
  • Liu, Siying
  • Shimshack, Jay

Abstract

Conventional wisdom suggests that pollution damages are high in less-developed countries because they are highly polluted. Using administrative data on the universe of births and deaths, we explore the morbidity and mortality effects of gestational particulate matter exposure in high-pollution yet highly-developed Hong Kong. The effects of particulates on birthweight are large. We estimate no effect of particulates on neonatal mortality. We interpret our stark mortality results in a comparative analysis of pollution-mortality relationships across well-known studies. We provide evidence that mortality damages may be high in less-developed countries because they are less developed, not because they are more polluted.

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  • Colmer, Jonathan & Lin, Dajun & Liu, Siying & Shimshack, Jay, 2020. "Why are pollution damages lower in developed countries? Insights from high income, high-particulate matter Hong Kong," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 108466, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:108466
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    Cited by:

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    3. Jonathan Colmer & Jennifer L. Doleac, 2023. "Access to guns in the heat of the moment: more restrictive gun laws mitigate the effect of temperature on violence," CEP Discussion Papers dp1934, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    4. Colmer, Jonathan Mark & Doleac, Jennifer L., 2023. "Access to guns in the heat of the moment: more restrictive gun laws mitigate the effect of temperature on violence," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 121304, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    particulate matter; marginal damages; infant health;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

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