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Land reform and health endowments at birth

Author

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  • Ding, Yawen
  • Wang, Xiaobing
  • Xu, Huayu

Abstract

This study examines the impact of China's Household Responsibility System (HRS) reform—a significant land reform that boosted labor productivity in rural areas—on birth outcomes. Leveraging the staggered rollout of the reform across counties and data from the earliest available fertility surveys in China, we provide evidence that prenatal exposure to the reform leads to an average increase in birth weight of about 55 grams. Further analyses suggest that this improvement is most likely driven by better nutrition during gestation, rather than improved access to prenatal health care or an increase in selective births. Moreover, this effect is more pronounced in areas where women have a comparative advantage in agricultural production, underscoring the critical role of women's economic standing in shaping child health outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Ding, Yawen & Wang, Xiaobing & Xu, Huayu, 2025. "Land reform and health endowments at birth," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 79-95.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcecon:v:53:y:2025:i:1:p:79-95
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jce.2024.11.001
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Land reform; Birth weight; Early-life health; Agricultural productivity; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • P26 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Property Rights
    • Q15 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Land Ownership and Tenure; Land Reform; Land Use; Irrigation; Agriculture and Environment
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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