Green Revolution in Collective-Era China: The Demographic Consequences of High-Yielding Rice

Youhong Lin

Journal of Development Studies, 2026, vol. 62, issue 2, 308-331

Abstract: The Green Revolution has transformed the economies of developing countries since the 1940s. However, its effects on planned economies have been less studied. This study examines the impact of the Green Revolution in collective-era China, where the economy was characterized by central planning and collective farming. The results show that the adoption of high-yield rice significantly increased grain production and reduced the death rate as early as the first half of the 1960s. Contrary to cross-country evidence from Gollin, Hansen, and Wingender, the income effect of the Green Revolution on fertility is non-negative. This paradox might be due to the low opportunity cost of having children within collective units and the impediments to urbanization under central planning.

Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2025.2525845

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