Effects of restrictive abortion legislation on cohort mortality evidence from 19th century law variation

Joanna Lahey and Marianne H. Wanamaker

Journal of Public Economics, 2025, vol. 243, issue C

Abstract: Permissive abortion policy is thought to improve the average well-being of born children, as evidenced by recent studies based on 20th century US data. Using 19th century restrictive abortion policy, we demonstrate a more nuanced relationship between policy and child well-being. Despite increased birth rates among abortion-restricted cohorts, we find little evidence of changes in well-being at birth through the standard channel of child selection, consistent with predictions from a generalized model. However, children in these larger cohorts were more susceptible to mortality from infectious disease throughout childhood, implying different mechanisms linking abortion policy to child well-being.

Date: 2025
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Working Paper: Effects of Restrictive Abortion Legislation on Cohort Mortality Evidence from 19th Century Law Variation (2022)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:243:y:2025:i:c:s0047272725000271

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2025.105329

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