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The Struggle For Existence: Migration, Competition, And Human Capital Accumulation In Historic China

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  • Ying Bai

Abstract

By exploiting immigrant spatial variation in 287 prefectures, this study shows that the 1127‐30 Han migration southward in historic China had a significantly positive effect on economic prosperity in the year 2000 (as measured by GDP and nighttime lights per capita). One possible explanation is that the migrant‐local competition since the implementation of the imperial civil service examination has incentivized both migrants and locals to invest in education to better compete with their rivals. These findings remain robust when I instrument migration flow size by the number of northern‐born officials governing southern prefectures during the migration period.

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  • Ying Bai, 2022. "The Struggle For Existence: Migration, Competition, And Human Capital Accumulation In Historic China," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 63(3), pages 1239-1269, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:iecrev:v:63:y:2022:i:3:p:1239-1269
    DOI: 10.1111/iere.12565
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    Cited by:

    1. Fan, Haichao & Li, Chang & Xue, Chang & Yu, Miaojie, 2023. "Clan culture and patterns of industrial specialization in China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 207(C), pages 457-478.
    2. Yu Zhang & Wenqi Zhang & Bowen Cheng, 2024. "The curse of spanning over millennium: Confucian culture and corruption in China," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(2), pages 473-500, April.
    3. Chenchen Fan & Mingming Jiang & Bo Zhang, 2024. "Beyond cultural norms: how does historical rice farming affect modern firms' family control?," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 91(363), pages 770-808, July.

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