Air pollution and procyclical mortality: Evidence from China

Zhen Sun and Lei Cheng

China Economic Review, 2021, vol. 68, issue C

Abstract: There is growing evidence that in developed countries, mortality rises (falls) in economic booms (busts). However, little is known about the cyclical pattern of mortality in developing countries. Using China's city-year data, we find that the total mortality in China also exhibits procyclical fluctuations. In exploring the mechanisms, we find that air pollution is one of the reasons for procyclical fluctuations in total mortality. Specifically, economic booms lead to severe air pollution, worsening human health and thus increasing death rates. Moreover, we find that changes in lifestyles may not be an important reason for procyclical mortality in China.

Keywords: Air pollution; Business cycle; GDP growth rate; Mortality; Procyclical fluctuation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:chieco:v:68:y:2021:i:c:s1043951x21000432

DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2021.101625

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