Inequality in individual mortality and economic conditions earlier in life

Gerard J. van den Berg, Maarten Lindeboom and Marta López
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Maarten Lindeboom: Free University Amsterdam, Postal: De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Marta López: Free University Amsterdam, Postal: De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands

No 2007:7, Working Paper Series from IFAU - Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation

Abstract: We analyze the effect of being born in a recession on the mortality rate later in life in conjunction with social class. We use individual data records from Dutch registers of birth, marriage, and death certificates, covering the period 1815-2000, and we merge these with historical data on macro-economic outcomes and health indicators. We estimate duration models and inequality measures. The results indicate that being born in a recession increases the mortality rate later in life for most of the population. Lower social classes suffer disproportionally from being born in recessions. This exacerbates mortality inequality. This is not affected by social mobility: upward mobility does not vary much with the business cycle at birth, for each social class.

Keywords: Death; longevity; recession; life expectancy; lifetimes; social inequality; social class; health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C41 E32 I12 J14 N13 N33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-mac
Date: 2007-02-18
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Related works:
Working Paper: Inequality in Individual Mortality and Economic Conditions Earlier in Life (2006)
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Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hhs:ifauwp:2007_007

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