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Low emission zones and population health

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  • Margaryan, Shushanik

Abstract

Air pollution has a detrimental impact on population health, but the effectiveness of policy measures targeting pollution is underexplored. I exploit the natural experiment generated by the staggered implementation of low emission zones in large cities across Germany to assess their impact on health. Using register data on outpatient and inpatient health care, I find that low emission zones reduce the number of patients with cardiovascular disease by 2–3%. This effect is particularly pronounced for those over the age of 65. The findings suggest that low emission zones can be an effective way to reduce air pollution and improve health.

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  • Margaryan, Shushanik, 2021. "Low emission zones and population health," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:76:y:2021:i:c:s0167629620310481
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2020.102402
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    5. Shuhei Nishitateno & Paul J. Burke, 2024. "Effects of Low Emission Zones on Air Quality, New Vehicle Registrations, and Birthweights: Evidence from Japan," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 87(7), pages 1955-1992, July.
    6. Brehm, Johannes & Pestel, Nico & Schaffner, Sandra & Schmitz, Laura, 2022. "From low emission zone to academic track: Environmental policy effects on educational achievement in elementary school," Ruhr Economic Papers 980, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    7. Hannah Klauber & Felix Holub & Nicolas Koch & Nico Pestel & Nolan Ritter & Alexander Rohlf, 2024. "Killing Prescriptions Softly: Low Emission Zones and Child Health from Birth to School," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 16(2), pages 220-248, May.
    8. Milstein, Ricarda & Schreyögg, Jonas, 2022. "Activity-based funding based on diagnosis-related groups: The end of an era? A review of payment reforms in the inpatient sector in ten high-income countries," hche Research Papers 28, University of Hamburg, Hamburg Center for Health Economics (hche).
    9. Mario Liebensteiner & Jakob Losert & Sarah Necker & Florian Neumeier & Jörg Paetzold & Sebastian Wichert, 2024. "Almost Fare Free: Impact of a Cheap Public Transport Ticket on Mobility Patterns and Infrastructure Quality," CESifo Working Paper Series 11229, CESifo.
    10. Pestel, Nico & Wozny, Florian, 2021. "Health effects of Low Emission Zones: Evidence from German hospitals," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    11. Wang, Qinyun & Wang, Xuebin & Yan, Qianhui & Zhang, Lvqing, 2024. "Heavy industry regulations, hospitalization, and medical expenditures: Evidence from micro-level medical records in a northeast Chinese city," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    12. Sarmiento, Luis & Wägner, Nicole & Zaklan, Aleksandar, 2023. "The air quality and well-being effects of low emission zones," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    13. Fafa Yan & Alec Zuo & Wen’e Qi & Zhimin Zhou, 2023. "The Effect of Ecological Management on Regional Health Inequality," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-22, February.
    14. Eren Aydin & Kathleen Kürschner Rauck, 2023. "Low-emission zones, modes of transport and house prices: evidence from Berlin’s commuter belt," Transportation, Springer, vol. 50(5), pages 1847-1895, October.
    15. Aydin, Eren & Gehrsitz, Markus & Traxler, Christian, 2024. "Greener Fleet, Cleaner Air: How Low Emission Zones Reduce Pollution," IZA Discussion Papers 17144, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    16. Tassinari, Filippo, 2024. "Low emission zones and traffic congestion: Evidence from Madrid Central," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    17. Boggiano, Barbara & Williams Higgins, Melisa & Matheson, Jesse & Jenkins, David & Oggioni, Marco R., 2024. "The contemporaneous healthcare cost of particulate matter pollution for youth and older adult populations," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    18. Avila-Uribe, Antonio & Roth, Sefi & Shields, Brian, 2024. "Putting Low Emission Zone (LEZ) to the Test: The Effect of London's LEZ on Education," IZA Discussion Papers 17020, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    19. Gohl, Niklas & Schrauth, Philipp, 2024. "JUE insight: Ticket to paradise? The effect of a public transport subsidy on air quality," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    20. Kang, Cheolmin & Ota, Mitsuru & Ushijima, Koichi, 2024. "Benefits of diesel emission regulations: Evidence from the World's largest low emission zone," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    21. Niklas Gohl & Philipp Schrauth, 2022. "Ticket to Paradise? The Effect of a Public Transport Subsidy on Air Quality," CEPA Discussion Papers 50, Center for Economic Policy Analysis.
    22. Brehm, Johannes & Gruhl, Henri & Kottmann, Robin & Schmitz, Laura, 2024. "Low depression zones? The effect of driving restrictions on air pollution and mental health," Ruhr Economic Papers 1093, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    23. Beshir, H.A.; & Fichera, E.;, 2022. "“And Breathe Normally†: The Low Emission Zone impacts on health and well-being in England," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 22/09, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    24. Shen, Yu & Sun, Wenkai, 2023. "The effect of low-carbon city pilot on energy consumption behavior: Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(PA).
    25. Gruhl, Henri & Volkhausen, Nicolas & Pestel, Nico & aus dem Moore, Nils, 2022. "Air pollution and the housing market: Evidence from Germany's Low Emission Zones," Ruhr Economic Papers 977, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Air pollution; Health; Low emission zones;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • Q52 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Pollution Control Adoption and Costs; Distributional Effects; Employment Effects
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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