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The Consequences of the 1959–1961 Chinese Famine for Educational Attainment

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  • Lay Margaret J.

    (Department of Economics, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA01075, USA)

  • Norling Johannes

    (Department of Economics, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA01075, USA)

Abstract

This paper finds that the Great Chinese Famine of 1959–1961 reduced lifetime educational attainment by up to 3.8 years for people who lived in areas most severely hit by the famine. Using geographical variation in famine intensity, information about place of residence during the famine, and educational attainment recorded in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, the paper demonstrates that the decline in educational attainment was particularly sharp for women. This decline interrupted substantial gains in schooling achieved in China during the middle part of the twentieth century.

Suggested Citation

  • Lay Margaret J. & Norling Johannes, 2020. "The Consequences of the 1959–1961 Chinese Famine for Educational Attainment," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 20(2), pages 1-23, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:bejeap:v:20:y:2020:i:2:p:23:n:6
    DOI: 10.1515/bejeap-2019-0112
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    education; famine; cognition; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy
    • N35 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Asia including Middle East

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