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Famine, fertility, and fortune in china

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  • SHI, Xinzheng

Abstract

In this paper, I investigate the long term effects of China's Great Famine in 1959-1961 on cohorts affected by the famine in the first year of life. Using China's 2000 population census data and after controlling for positive fertility selections in the famine, I find that women exposed to the famine in the first year of life had a lower probability of completing high school and lived in less wealthy households. I do not find any significant effects of the famine on men. In addition, I find that if positive fertility selections are not controlled for, the negative effects become weaker.

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  • SHI, Xinzheng, 2011. "Famine, fertility, and fortune in china," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 244-259, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:22:y:2011:i:2:p:244-259
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    1. Kim, Seonghoon & Deng, Quheng & Fleisher, Belton M. & Li, Shi, 2014. "The Lasting Impact of Parental Early Life Malnutrition on Their Offspring: Evidence from the China Great Leap Forward Famine," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 232-242.
    2. Wenli Cheng & Hui Shi, 2019. "Surviving the Famine Unscathed? An Analysis of the Long‐Term Health Effects of the Great Chinese Famine," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 86(2), pages 746-772, October.
    3. Cheng, Yawen & Kong, Dongmin & Wang, Qin, 2023. "Parents' early experience and children's years of schooling: The long-term impact of son preference," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    4. Li, Qiang & An, Lian, 2015. "Intergenerational health consequences of the 1959–1961 Great Famine on children in rural China," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 27-40.
    5. Chen, Xiangpo & Hu, Xinyan & Xu, Jinhai, 2023. "When winter is over, its cold remains: Early-life famine experience breeds risk aversion," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    6. Ziying Fan & Wei Xiong & Li-An Zhou, 2016. "Information Distortion in Hierarchical Organizations: A Study of China’s Great Famine," Working Papers 2016-8, Princeton University. Economics Department..
    7. Xue Feng Hu & Gordon G. Liu & Maoyong Fan, 2017. "Long‐Term Effects of Famine on Chronic Diseases: Evidence from China's Great Leap Forward Famine," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(7), pages 922-936, July.
    8. Fang, Feifan & Zhao, Yinyu & Xi, Zemiao & Han, Xinru & Zhu, Yuchun, 2023. "The impact of famine experience on middle-aged and elderly individuals’ food consumption: Evidence from China," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 26(C).
    9. Kim, Seonghoon & Quheng, Deng & Fleisher, Belton M. & Li, Shi, 2010. "The Lasting Impact of Mothers' Fetal Malnutrition on Their Offspring: Evidence from the China Great Leap Forward Famine," IZA Discussion Papers 5194, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. 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.
    11. Seonghoon Kim & Quheng Deng & Belton M. Fleisher & Shi Li, 2010. "The Lasting Impact of Mothers’ Fetal Malnutrition on Their Offspring: Evidence from the China Great Leap Forward Famine," Working Papers 10-01, Ohio State University, Department of Economics.
    12. Seonghoon Kim & Belton Fleisher & Jessica Ya Sun, 2017. "The Long‐term Health Effects of Fetal Malnutrition: Evidence from the 1959–1961 China Great Leap Forward Famine," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(10), pages 1264-1277, October.
    13. Elizabeth Gooch, 2018. "Resistance is Futile? Institutional and Geographic Factors in China’s Great Leap Famine," HiCN Working Papers 266, Households in Conflict Network.
    14. Li, Yanan & Sunder, Naveen, 2021. "What doesn’t kill her, will make her depressed," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    15. Yi Chen & Ziying Fan & Xiaomin Gu & Li-An Zhou, 2020. "Arrival of Young Talent: The Send-Down Movement and Rural Education in China," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 110(11), pages 3393-3430, November.
    16. Feng, Xunan & Johansson, Anders C., 2018. "Living through the Great Chinese Famine: Early-life experiences and managerial decisions," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 638-657.
    17. Yiru Wang, 2023. "Famine and matching by socioeconomic status—evidence from the Great Chinese Famine," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 855-912, September.
    18. Wang, Xiaolu & Chen, Qihui & Zhu, Chen, 2022. "How Individual’s Early Hunger Experience Impacts Their Future Socioeconomic Status: Evidence from China," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322129, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    19. Dai, Xinchen & Li, Jing, 2021. "Inequality of opportunity in China: Evidence from pseudo panel data," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    20. Yao, Yuxin & Zhang, Yi, 2023. "The long-term and intergenerational effects of early-life hunger experience on human capital and labor market outcomes," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    21. Cui, Hanxiao & Smith, James P. & Zhao, Yaohui, 2020. "Early-life deprivation and health outcomes in adulthood: Evidence from childhood hunger episodes of middle-aged and elderly Chinese," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    22. Gooch, Elizabeth, 2017. "Estimating the Long-Term Impact of the Great Chinese Famine (1959–61) on Modern China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 140-151.
    23. Jessica Leight & Paul Glewwe & Albert Park, 2015. "The Impact of Early Childhood Rainfall Shocks on the Evolution of Cognitive and Non-cognitive Skills," Department of Economics Working Papers 2016-14, Department of Economics, Williams College, revised Oct 2016.
    24. Norling, Johannes, 2020. "Education and employment following apartheid protests," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).

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