This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Mortality, Human Capital and Persistent Inequality

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Shankha Chakraborty ()
Mausumi Das ()

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Abstract

Available evidence suggests high intergenerational correlation of economic status and persistent disparities in health status between the rich and the poor. This paper proposes a mechanism linking the two. We introduce health capital into a two-period overlapping generations model. Private health investment improves the probability of surviving from the first period of life to the next and, along with education, enhances an individual’s labor productivity. Poorer parents are of poor health, unable to invest much in reducing mortality risk and improving their human capital. Consequently, they leave less for their progeny. Despite convex preferences and technologies, initial differences in economic and health status may perpetuate across generations when annuities markets are imperfect. Copyright Springer 2005

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s10887-005-1670-5
File Format: text/html
File Function:
Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version under "Related research" (further below) or search for a different version of it.

Publisher Info
Article provided by Springer in its journal Journal of Economic Growth.

Volume (Year): 10 (2005)
Issue (Month): 2 (06)
Pages: 159-192
Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Handle: RePEc:kap:jecgro:v:10:y:2005:i:2:p:159-192

Contact details of provider:
Web page: http://www.springerlink.com/link.asp?id=102931

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Christopher F. Baum).

Related research
Keywords: life expectancy; health; human capital; income distribution; I12; I20; O15;

Other versions of this item:

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Robert W. Fogel, 1994. "Economic Growth, Population Theory, and Physiology: The Bearing of Long-Term Processes on the Making of Economic Policy," NBER Working Papers 4638, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  2. Ghatak, Maitreesh & Nien-Huei Jiang, Neville, 2002. "A simple model of inequality, occupational choice, and development," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 205-226, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Aghion, Philippe & Bolton, Patrick, 1997. "A Theory of Trickle-Down Growth and Development," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 64(2), pages 151-72, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. John Strauss & Duncan Thomas, 1998. "Health, Nutrition, and Economic Development," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 36(2), pages 766-817, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  5. Moav, Omer, 2002. "Income distribution and macroeconomics: the persistence of inequality in a convex technology framework," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 75(2), pages 187-192, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Galor, Oded & Zeira, Joseph, 1993. "Income Distribution and Macroeconomics," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 60(1), pages 35-52, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Galor, Oded & Tsiddon, Daniel, 1997. " The Distribution of Human Capital and Economic Growth," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 93-124, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  8. Menchik, Paul L & David, Martin, 1983. "Income Distribution, Lifetime Savings, and Bequests," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 73(4), pages 672-90, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Kalemli-Ozcan, Sebnem & Ryder, Harl E. & Weil, David N., 2000. "Mortality decline, human capital investment, and economic growth," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 1-23, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Zimmerman, David J, 1992. "Regression toward Mediocrity in Economic Stature," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(3), pages 409-29, June.
  11. Thomas, D. & Strauss, J., 1997. "Health and Wages: Evidence on Men and Women in Urban Brazil," Papers 97-05, RAND - Reprint Series.
    Other versions:
  12. Strauss, John, 1986. "Does Better Nutrition Raise Farm Productivity?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(2), pages 297-320, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Behrman, Jere R., 1993. "The economic rationale for investing in nutrition in developing countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 21(11), pages 1749-1771, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Solon, Gary, 1992. "Intergenerational Income Mobility in the United States," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(3), pages 393-408, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Freeman, Scott, 1996. "Equilibrium Income Inequality among Identical Agents," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 104(5), pages 1047-64, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Maoz, Yishay D & Moav, Omer, 1999. "Intergenerational Mobility and the Process of Development," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 109(458), pages 677-97, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Behrman, Jere R, 1996. "The Impact of Health and Nutrition on Education," World Bank Research Observer, Oxford University Press, vol. 11(1), pages 23-37, February.
  18. Andreoni, James, 1989. "Giving with Impure Altruism: Applications to Charity and Ricardian Equivalence," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 97(6), pages 1447-58, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  19. Gary Solon, 2002. "Cross-Country Differences in Intergenerational Earnings Mobility," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 16(3), pages 59-66, Summer. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  20. Angus Deaton, 2003. "Health, Inequality, and Economic Development," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 41(1), pages 113-158, March.
    Other versions:
  21. Banerjee, Abhijit V & Newman, Andrew F, 1993. "Occupational Choice and the Process of Development," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 101(2), pages 274-98, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  22. Benabou, Roland, 1996. "Heterogeneity, Stratification, and Growth: Macroeconomic Implications of Community Structure and School Finance," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(3), pages 584-609, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  23. Ray, Debraj & Streufert, Peter A, 1993. "Dynamic Equilibria with Unemployment Due to Undernourishment," Economic Theory, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 61-85, January.
  24. Piketty, Thomas, 1997. "The Dynamics of the Wealth Distribution and the Interest Rate with Credit Rationing," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 64(2), pages 173-89, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Raouf, BOUCEKKINE, 2007. "A theory of dynamics and inequalities under epidemics," Discussion Papers (ECON - Département des Sciences Economiques) 2007022, Université catholique de Louvain, Département des Sciences Economiques. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Osipian, Ararat, 2007. "Экономический Рост: Образование Как Фактор Производства
    [Economic Growth: Education as a Factor of Production]
    ," MPRA Paper 7593, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  3. David de la Croix & Grégory Ponthière, 2008. "On the Golden Rule of capital accumulation under endogenous longevity," PSE Working Papers 2008-48, PSE (Ecole normale supérieure). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés & Tselios, Vassilis, 2007. "Education and Income Inequality in the Regions of the European Union," Papers DYNREG09, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Sambit Bhattacharyya, 2007. "Root Causes of African Underdevelopment," Working Papers in Economics and Development Studies (WoPEDS) 200704, Department of Economics, Padjadjaran University, revised Apr 2007. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. Bhattacharya, Joydeep & Bunzel, Helle & Qiao, Xue, 2007. "UNSAFE SEX, AIDS, and DEVELOPMENT," Staff General Research Papers 12832, Iowa State University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  7. de la Croix, David & Licandro, Omar, 2007. "‘The Child is Father of the Man:’ Implications for the Demographic Transition," CEPR Discussion Papers 6493, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  8. Raouf Boucekkine & Raouf Boucekkine, 2006. "Medium term dynamics and inequalities under epidemics," Computing in Economics and Finance 2006 209, Society for Computational Economics. [Downloadable!]
  9. Michal Bauer & Julie Chytilová, 2007. "Does Education Matter in Patience Formation? Evidence from Ugandan Villages," Working Papers IES 2007/10, Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Economic Studies, revised Feb 2007. [Downloadable!]
  10. David, DE LA CROIX & Alessandro, SOMMACAL, 2006. "A Theory of Medecine Effectiveness, Differential Mortality, Income Inequality and Growth for Pre-Industrial England," Discussion Papers (ECON - Département des Sciences Economiques) 2006025, Université catholique de Louvain, Département des Sciences Economiques. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  11. Shankha Chakraborty & Mausumi Das, 2003. "Mortality, Fertility and Child Labor," University of Oregon Economics Department Working Papers 2003-35, University of Oregon Economics Department, revised 01 Dec 2003. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  12. David de la Croix & Omar Licandro, 2008. "The Child is Father of the Man: by Implications for the Demographic Transition," Working Papers 2008-04, FEDEA. [Downloadable!]
  13. Radhika Lahiri & Elizabeth Richardson, 2008. "Public and Private Expenditures on Health in the Presence of Inequality and Endogenous Mortality: A Political Economy Perspective," School of Economics and Finance Discussion Papers and Working Papers Series 240, School of Economics and Finance, Queensland University of Technology, revised 15 Dec 2008. [Downloadable!]
  14. Raouf, BOUCEKKINE & Bity, DIENE & Theophile, AZOMAHOU, 2006. "The Growth economics of epidemics," Discussion Papers (ECON - Département des Sciences Economiques) 2006021, Université catholique de Louvain, Département des Sciences Economiques. [Downloadable!]
  15. Bhattacharya, Joydeep & Qiao, Xue, 2005. "Public and Private Expenditures on Health in a Growth Model," Staff General Research Papers 12378, Iowa State University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  16. Francesco Ricci & Marios Zachariadis, 2006. "Determinants of Public Health Outcomes: A Macroeconomic Perspective," DEGIT Conference Papers c011_045, DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? Data contributors to RePEc receive monthly emails with details about downloads and abstract views of their works.

This page was last updated on 2009-11-12.


This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.