Sanctioned to Death? The Impact of Economic Sanctions on Life Expectancy and its Gender Gap

Jerg Gutmann, Florian Neumeier () and Matthias Neuenkirch

VfS Annual Conference 2018 (Freiburg, Breisgau): Digital Economy from Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association

Abstract: We empirically analyze the effect of UN and US economic sanctions on life expectancy and its gender gap in target countries. Our sample covers 98 less developed and newly industrialized countries over the period 1977–2012. We employ a matching approach to account for the endogeneity of sanctions. Our results indicate that an average episode of UN sanctions reduces life expectancy by about 1.2–1.4 years. The corresponding decrease of 0.4–0.5 years under an average episode of US sanctions is significantly smaller. In addition, we find evidence that women are affected more severely by the imposition of sanctions. Sanctions not being “gender‐blind” can be interpreted as evidence that they disproportionately affect (the life expectancy of) the more vulnerable members of society. We also detect some effect heterogeneity, as the reduction in life expectancy accumulates over time. Furthermore, countries with a better political environment are less severely affected by economic sanctions.

Keywords: Gender Gap; Human Development; Life Expectancy; Sanctions; United Nations; United States (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F51 F52 F53 I15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem
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Related works:
Journal Article: Sanctioned to Death? The Impact of Economic Sanctions on Life Expectancy and its Gender Gap (2021)
Working Paper: Sanctioned to Death? The Impact of Economic Sanctions on Life Expectancy and its Gender Gap (2020)
Working Paper: Sanctioned to Death? The Impact of Economic Sanctions on Life Expectancy and its Gender Gap (2019)
Working Paper: Sanctioned to Death? The Impact of Economic Sanctions on Life Expectancy and its Gender Gap (2017)
Working Paper: Sanctioned to Death? The Impact of Economic Sanctions on Life Expectancy and its Gender Gap (2017)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:vfsc18:181505

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