Health Effects of Cousin Marriage: Evidence from US Genealogical Records

Sam Il Myoung Hwang, Deaglan Jakob and Munir Squires

American Economic Review: Insights, 2025, vol. 7, issue 3, 396-410

Abstract: Cousin marriage rates are high in many countries today. While previous studies have documented increased risks of infant and child mortality, we provide the first estimate of the effect of such marriages on life expectancy throughout adulthood. By studying couples married over a century ago, we can observe their offspring across the entire lifespan. US genealogical data allow us to identify children whose parents were first cousins and compare their years of life to the offspring of their parents' siblings. Marrying a cousin leads to more than a two-year reduction in age-five life expectancy, compounding the documented early-life effects.

JEL-codes: I12 J12 J13 N31 N32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1257/aeri.20230544

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