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Urbanization and Mortality Decline

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  • Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay
  • Elliott Green

Abstract

We investigate the relationship between mortality decline and urbanization, which has hitherto been proposed by demographers but has yet to be tested. Using pooled-OLS, fixed effects first differences and long differences we find evidence for a robust negative correlation between crude death rates and urbanization. The use of Granger causality tests and instrumental variables suggest that this relationship is causal. Our preliminary results suggest that mortality decline causes urbanization through the creation of new cities rather than promoting urban growth in already-extant cities.

Suggested Citation

  • Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay & Elliott Green, 2013. "Urbanization and Mortality Decline," Working Papers 46, Queen Mary, University of London, School of Business and Management, Centre for Globalisation Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:cgs:wpaper:46
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    File URL: http://cgr.sbm.qmul.ac.uk/CGRWP46.pdf
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    2. Fox, Sean & Wolf, Levi John, 2022. "What makes a place urban?," SocArXiv qfvry, Center for Open Science.
    3. Sabyasachi Tripathi & Moinak Maiti, 2023. "Does urbanization improve health outcomes: a cross country level analysis," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 277-316, March.
    4. Tripathi, Sabyasachi, 2021. "Relationship between urbanization and health outcomes in Indian states," MPRA Paper 109800, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Urbanization; Mortality Decline; Demography; Population Growth;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • N90 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • R00 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General - - - General

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