Are People Insured Against Natural Disasters? Evidence from the Great Hanshin-Awaji (Kobe) Earthquake in 1995

Yasuyuki Sawada and Satoshi Shimizutani

No CIRJE-F-314, CIRJE F-Series from CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo

Abstract: We investigate whether people were insured against unexpected losses caused by the Great Hanshin-Awaji (Kobe) earthquake in 1995. The unique household data employed led to several empirical findings under a natural-experimental situation. The complete consumption insurance hypothesis is rejected overwhelmingly, suggesting the ineffectiveness of the formal and/or informal insurance mechanisms against the earthquake. We also investigate possible factors that inhibit full risk-sharing. Transfers may be particularly ineffective as insurance against losses for co-resident households. Households borrow extensively against housing damages, whereas dissavings are utilized for smaller asset damages, implying a hierarchy of risk-coping measures, from dissaving to borrowing.

Pages: 36 pages
Date: 2005-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cwa and nep-env
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Working Paper: Are People Insured Against Natural Disasters? Evidence from the Great Hanshin-Awaji (Kobe) Earthquake in 1995 (2005)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:tky:fseres:2005cf314

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