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It never rains but it pours: Austerity and mortality rate in peripheral areas

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  • Guccio, C.
  • Pignataro, G.
  • Vidoli, F.

Abstract

This study examines the impact of austerity measures on mortality rates across Italian regions from 2003 to 2018. Since 2007, regions experiencing substantial healthcare financial deficits have been required to implement recovery plans (RPs). We use a recent difference-in-differences staggered matching estimator to assess the effects of this austerity policy on municipal-level monthly mortality rates. This allows us to evaluate the policy’s spatial heterogeneity across treated municipalities, accounting for their distance from the nearest hospital. The analysis reveals a significant negative impact of austerity measures on health, particularly in peripheral areas and among vulnerable populations. Mortality rates are higher in regions under RPs, with this effect escalating with increasing distance from hospitals. The policy’s impact is also more pronounced among vulnerable populations, with differences observed between genders and across seasons.

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  • Guccio, C. & Pignataro, G. & Vidoli, F., 2024. "It never rains but it pours: Austerity and mortality rate in peripheral areas," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:54:y:2024:i:c:s1570677x24000601
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2024.101408
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Austerity; Health outcomes; Mortality rate; Time-series cross-sectional; Spatial non-stationarity; Multiperiod difference-in-differences; Matching estimator;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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