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Early-Life Exposure to Air Pollution Regulation and Later Educational Attainment: Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Siwar Khelifa
  • Jie He

Abstract

This paper provides the first evidence from a developing-country setting on the long-term educational impacts of early-life exposure to a major environmental regulation. We study China's 1998 Two Control Zones policy and implement a difference-in-differences design comparing adjacent birth cohorts in targeted and non-targeted counties. We find no detectable effects of early-life exposure to the policy on long-term educational outcomes. Across a wide range of measures, including high school attendance, academic versus vocational track placement, and high-quality school attendance around age 15, as well as college entrance exam participation, exam scores, and post-secondary enrollment around age 18, the estimates are statistically indistinguishable from zero. These null results are robust across alternative specifications and hold in subgroups defined by gender and maternal education.

Suggested Citation

  • Siwar Khelifa & Jie He, 2025. "Early-Life Exposure to Air Pollution Regulation and Later Educational Attainment: Evidence from China," IRENE Working Papers 25-08, IRENE Institute of Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:irn:wpaper:25-08
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • Q51 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Valuation of Environmental Effects
    • 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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