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Poverty, pollution, and mortality: The 1918 influenza pandemic in a developing German economy

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  • Franke, Richard

Abstract

The paper provides a detailed analysis of excess mortality during the "Spanish Flu" in a developing German economy and the effect of poverty and air pollution on pandemic mortality. The empirical analysis is based on a difference-in-differences approach using annual all-cause mortality statistics at the parish level in the Kingdom of Württemberg. The paper complements the existing literature on urban pandemic severity with comprehensive evidence from mostly rural parishes. The results show that middle and high-income parishes had a significantly lower increase in mortality rates than low-income parishes. Moreover, the mortality rate during the 1918 influenza pandemic was significantly higher in highly polluted parishes compared to least polluted parishes.

Suggested Citation

  • Franke, Richard, 2021. "Poverty, pollution, and mortality: The 1918 influenza pandemic in a developing German economy," MPRA Paper 107570, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:107570
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    Cited by:

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    3. Bernhard, Marco & Leuch, Corina & Kordi, Maryam & Gruebner, Oliver & Matthes, Katarina L. & Floris, Joël & Staub, Kaspar, 2023. "From pandemic to endemic: Spatial-temporal patterns of influenza-like illness incidence in a Swiss canton, 1918–1924," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Pandemics; Spanish Flu; Income; Air Pollution; Mortality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • N34 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Europe: 1913-
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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