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The full distribution of adult height in Poland: cohorts born between 1920 and 1996. The biological cost of the economic transition

Author

Listed:
  • Marcin Wroński

    (SGH Warsaw School of Economics)

Abstract

Body height often serves as a proxy for economic progress. In this paper, we investigate the evolution of average height and height dispersion in Poland based on full administrative data on body height (n=36,393,246). In the cohorts born between 1920 and 1996, the average height of men increased by 10.15 cm, while the average height of women rose by 8.18 cm. Height increase was fastest in the years 1940-1980. After the economic transition, body height stagnated. Post-transition unemployment had negative effects on body height. Height declined in municipalities where there were State Agricultural Farms. Height dispersion decreased in the first decades under investigation and increased after the economic transition.

Suggested Citation

  • Marcin Wroński, 2023. "The full distribution of adult height in Poland: cohorts born between 1920 and 1996. The biological cost of the economic transition," World Inequality Lab Working Papers halshs-04173215, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:wilwps:halshs-04173215
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-04173215
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    2. Bartowiak, Sylwia & Konarski, Jan M. & Strzelczyk, Ryszard & Malina, Robert M., 2024. "Secular change in heights of rural adults in west-central poland between 1986 and 2016: The transition from pre- to post-communism," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    3. Maciej Bukowski & Michał Kowalski & Marcin Wroński, 2025. "Agriculture in interwar Poland: development in a turbulent time," Working Papers 2025-02, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw.
    4. Marco-Gracia, Francisco J. & López-Antón, Margarita, 2023. "Height and political activism in rural Aragón (Spain) during the 20th century. A new perspective using individual-level data," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • N14 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Europe: 1913-
    • P20 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - General
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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