Requiescat in Pace? The Consequences of High Priced Funerals in South Africa

Anne Case () and Alicia Menendez

No 14998, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: We examine the costs associated with funerals and the effects of funeral spending on household functioning, using data collected in the Agincourt Demographic Surveillance Site in South Africa. We find that large outlays of money at the time of the funeral leave households vulnerable to future hardship. Households that buried a member report lower spending per person, poorer adult affect, and lower rates of school enrollment for children than do other households. We present evidence consistent with the financial burden associated with a funeral having direct, adverse effects on households.

JEL-codes: D12 O12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr and nep-dev
Date: 2009-05
Note: AG
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