Free Education in Childhood and Health Benefits in Adulthood: Evidence from China

Yiwei Liu, Zihao Jia, Qiuyue Guo and Jiaxing Wang

Journal of Development Studies, 2025, vol. 61, issue 8, 1275-1293

Abstract: This study investigates whether childhood education has a lasting causal effect on health using data from the China Family Panel Studies and assesses the Compulsory Education Law, implemented by the Chinese government in 1986 to provide free compulsory education for 9 years for children aged 6–15 years in primary and junior high schools, as a quasi-natural experiment. Employing a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, we find that people who received free compulsory education had better health status in adulthood, and this effect was more significant among urban and male groups. Further analysis shows that the free compulsory education policy has a significant positive impact on adult education level, social class, lifestyle, medical service utilization and healthcare expenditure, and living environment, which function as underlying mechanisms. In addition, we find that free compulsory education policy can reduce health inequality among adults.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2025.2462036

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