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Human climate niche, habitability range, and economic growth
[Niche climatique humaine, zone d'habitabilité et croissance économique]

Author

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  • Jean-François Gajewski

    (LARJE - Laboratoire de Recherches Juridique et Economique - UNC - Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, MAGELLAN - Laboratoire de Recherche Magellan - UJML - Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 - Université de Lyon - Institut d'Administration des Entreprises (IAE) - Lyon)

  • Paul-Oliver Klein

    (University of Nottingham Ningbo [China])

  • Fatima Ezzahrae Tahri

    (MAGELLAN - Laboratoire de Recherche Magellan - UJML - Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 - Université de Lyon - Institut d'Administration des Entreprises (IAE) - Lyon)

Abstract

This study develops a contemporaneous measure of the human habitability of geographic areas, the Habitability Range that builds upon the work of Xu et al. ( 2020) on pretechnological human density in a temperatureprecipitation climatic space. Using this measure with climatic data from 1901 to 2022, we document a 32.98% (-8.40 pp) global decline in human habitability over the past century. Using economic data from 181 countries (1950-2022), we find that a one standard deviation loss in habitability reduced GDP per capita by 4.24% at country level and by 2.46% at subnational level. While high Total Factor Productivity (TFP) reduces dependence on the climate niche, declines in habitability can lower TFP, thereby limiting adaptation capacities.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean-François Gajewski & Paul-Oliver Klein & Fatima Ezzahrae Tahri, 2026. "Human climate niche, habitability range, and economic growth [Niche climatique humaine, zone d'habitabilité et croissance économique]," Post-Print halshs-05701752, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-05701752
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2026.109104
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-05701752v1
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