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The Quiet Lasting Impact of the Vietnam War on Children's Physical Development

Author

Listed:
  • Hiroyuki Yamada

    (Keio University)

  • TIEN MANH VU

    (Chuo University)

Abstract

This paper examines the long-term health impacts of the large-scale herbicide spraying campaign by the U.S. in southern Vietnam during the Vietnam War on the height and weight of children under the age of 16 years in 2022, nearly 50 years after the Vietnam War ended. We combine the information on the age- and gender-adjusted z-score for the height and weight of children in 2022 with the herbicide spraying intensity at commune-level during the war. Our results using an instrumental variable approach show that communes that were exposed to greater amounts of herbicides during the war tended to have shorter children in 2022. Not only Agent Orange but also Agent White had a negative impact on children’s height after half a century.

Suggested Citation

  • Hiroyuki Yamada & TIEN MANH VU, 2025. "The Quiet Lasting Impact of the Vietnam War on Children's Physical Development," Keio-IES Discussion Paper Series DP2025-017, Institute for Economics Studies, Keio University.
    • Handle: RePEc:keo:dpaper:dp2025-017
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • N45 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Asia including Middle East
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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