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Does Your Birthdate Tell Your Future? Evidence from Vietnam

Author

Listed:
  • Nguyen, Cuong

Abstract

Many people have believed in astrology and horoscope for a long time, though there are no scientific theories on these topics. Yet, using the 2002 Vietnam National Health Survey, we find that individuals who report birthdates on the 10th and the 20th of a month have worse health, less education and poorer occupations than other individuals, while those who report birthdates on the 31st have extraordinarily better outcomes. One explanation is that people who do not accurately know their birthdate tend to report their birthdate with a rounding digit of zero or five, and ‘not knowing birthdates accurately’ reflects ‘being born in a low educated family with less parental attention’.

Suggested Citation

  • Nguyen, Cuong, 2017. "Does Your Birthdate Tell Your Future? Evidence from Vietnam," MPRA Paper 81826, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:81826
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Quy-Toan Do & Tung D. Phung, 2010. "The Importance of Being Wanted," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 2(4), pages 236-253, October.
    2. Kasey S. Buckles & Daniel M. Hungerman, 2013. "Season of Birth and Later Outcomes: Old Questions, New Answers," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 95(3), pages 711-724, July.
    3. John J. Donohue III & Steven D. Levitt, 2001. "The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 116(2), pages 379-420.
    4. Joshua D. Angrist & Alan B. Keueger, 1991. "Does Compulsory School Attendance Affect Schooling and Earnings?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(4), pages 979-1014.
    5. Douglas Almond & Bhashkar Mazumder, 2011. "Health Capital and the Prenatal Environment: The Effect of Ramadan Observance during Pregnancy," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 3(4), pages 56-85, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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