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Social Protection and Household Composition: A Panel Data Analysis of Tigrai, Northern Ethiopia

Author

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  • Araya, Girmay Berhe

    (Centre for Land Tenure Studies, Norwegian University of Life Sciences)

  • Holden, Stein T.

    (Centre for Land Tenure Studies, Norwegian University of Life Sciences)

Abstract

Although development intervention programs can have far-reaching impacts beyond their stated objective, there have been few careful studies of unintended outcomes of such programs. This study assesses the role of Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) on household size and dependency ratio using the Difference-in-Difference (DiD) method based on panel data from four rounds over 12 years collected in Tigrai, northern Ethiopia. Results show that member households in the public works component of the PSNP have maintained a larger household size than their counterparts outside the PSNP. Member households also had a larger dependency ratio than their counterparts outside the PSNP five years after the program started (2005-2010). With the graduation of members and the downscaling of the program in the period 2010-2015, the effects on household size and dependency ratio were reduced and vanished.

Suggested Citation

  • Araya, Girmay Berhe & Holden, Stein T., 2025. "Social Protection and Household Composition: A Panel Data Analysis of Tigrai, Northern Ethiopia," CLTS Working Papers 2/25, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Centre for Land Tenure Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:nlsclt:2025_002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Household size; dependency; safety nets; difference in differences.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D02 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact
    • D15 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Intertemporal Household Choice; Life Cycle Models and Saving
    • D18 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Protection

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