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Population and Civil War

Author

Listed:
  • Daron Acemoglu
  • Leopoldo Fergusson
  • Simon Johnson

Abstract

Medical and public health innovations in the 1940s quickly resulted in significant health improvements around the world. Countries with initially higher mortality from infectious diseases experienced greater increases in life expectancy, population, and - over the following 40 years - social conflict. This result is robust across alternative measures of conflict and is not driven by differential trends between countries with varying baseline characteristics. At least during this time period, a faster increase in population made social conflict more likely, probably because it increased competition for scarce resources in low income countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Daron Acemoglu & Leopoldo Fergusson & Simon Johnson, 2017. "Population and Civil War," NBER Working Papers 23322, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:23322
    Note: POL
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    File URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w23322.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Dohmen, Martin, 2022. "Freedom of enterprise and economic development in the German industrial take-off," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    3. Juan Pablo Castilla, 2020. "To Kill a Black Swan: The Credibility Revolution at CEDE, 2000-2018," Documentos CEDE 18366, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
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    5. Robinson, James A. & Moscona, Jacob & Nunn, Nathan, 2018. "Social Structure and Conflict: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," CEPR Discussion Papers 13030, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • 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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